What devastating news this is! And what a terrible blow to the Paton family, especially coming so soon after they lost Kaelan.

Sandy was one of the sweetest guys you could ever hope to meet. I will always cherish the memory of his and Caroline's hospitality to The Boarding Party and its entourage (including me) on their two week-long recording sessions in Sharon in the 1980s. I can still see Sandy sitting at his recording console, flawlessly editing reel-to-reel tape with a razor blade, getting results as good as can be had with digital equipment today. And then there was the hands-and-knees search for the cricket that had gotten into the studio (a huge room that had once been a barn) and was making itself heard at the wrong moments. And "Welcome Boarding Party" spelled out in magnetic letters on the fridge when we arrived -- which somehow morphed into "Bleeding Pity" and "Barfing Puppy" and (my favorite) "Balding Poopy" over the course of the week. He and Caroline made us all feel so welcome and relaxed that the music just flowed.

There was never any question what label the BP's recordings would be on. "Nobody else will let us write a book!" said Jonathan. Folk-Legacy's contributions to the world of traditional music is unparallelled. Their love of the music and desire to share it is simply priceless.

As for Sandy himself -- a dear, sweet man with a beautiful tenor voice (go listen to "When You and I Were Young, Maggie" on one of the Mudcat CDs), a grand sense of humor, and a remarkable recording skill.

I didn't see Sandy often in recent years (though I've talked to Caroline on the phone -- always a treat -- a few times), but whenever I did, I was greeted as an old and dear friend, just as was everyone else in the folk community.

We've lost a really special one, friends. Caroline and the whole Paton family are in my thoughts.

Nancy