Dick
Once and for all
It is my opinion that diction, or any other form of 'coaching' is unnecessary, involves cost, and is, more often than not impractical because of the dire shortage of 'coaches/teachers, or any other form of instructors who are skilled at their trade and are conversant with folk styles of singing.
You have provided a few examples of dialect songs - nowhere have you provided evidence that the singers have sought the services of coaches to enable them to handle the dialect singing of folk songs, there aren't any as far as I am aware, and they would be as necessary as bicycles for fish; the acquiring of a dialect is either bred into you, or simply acquired by listening and imitation.
Your somewhat pig-headed insistence on stressing the need for coaching nowhere refers to the alternative I have suggested, that of group of generous, like-minded enthusiasts getting together to work on each others singing - cheap, efficient, readily available - and most of all, beneficial to all who participate in such exercises.
I suggested it because I saw it work - over and over and over again.
It helped me, and I saw it help others - it is the reason I am enjoying singing at the present time.
On the basis of that experience I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anybody who would like to improve their singing and assist others to do so.
So far you have indulged only in hypotheticals - you have not suggested the practicality of finding voice coaches who are conversant in voice coaching for folk singing, you have not given examples of such coaches, and you certainly haven't established a need for them.
To be honest, I have only bothered to respond to your wild, and often extremely insulting posts in order to take advantage of repeating what I firmly believe based on years of practical experience - anybody can sing, with work, anybody can sing well, and with practical help from fellow enthusiasts anybody can accelerate the process of learning and acieving skill and understanding - simple as that.
I believe you to be a enthusiastic and entertaining performer who works hard at what you do, but to be honest, I sometimes find your off-the-wall responses to others insulting and, from your point of view, counterproductive.
Jim Carroll