Gosh, Don, I've been singing all weekend with Merritt, and I had no idea he was a legend. He is a sweetie, that I know. Heck,I even slept with him -- tho he was on the top bunk above my husband and I was on the other bottom bunk across from them.
Three of us ladies sang him awake on Saturday, did I mention he's a charmer? It took one of his songs -- Free and Easy, to get him croaking, and then moving.
I once met Joan Baez at her dad's place when we were having a Quaker meeting there. Her dad was an active member of Berkeley Friends meeting, but the girls were often elsewhere. As I recall she was reserved, and I was awestruck.
Malvina Reynolds once came by to look at a guitar I was selling, and even tho it was obvious in two minutes that it was not what she wanted, she stayed a couple hours and created an impromptu singing circle in my room. She had just written the song about Brown Lung and how it affects the cotton towel mill workers, and she sang it for us.
Another time I was invited into her home by Faith Petric -- I shared a graphics studio in what was commonly called the Anarchist's block of Parker -- and happened to be passing just as Faith came by for a visit. Mal's home was all very dark wood paneling and she served us pomogranite juice -- something I'd never heard of. Then she went into the living room and played us a very bluesy arrangement of "If You Love Me" on the piano. She could have quite a bite -- I'd heard anyway, but I never experienced it. I think it was mostly she didn't suffer fools gladly.
Oh, and once when I was sitting with friends at a Pete Seeger concert,we were singing songs to pass the time. We'd come early to get seats in the front row, and when Trish started singing "Union Maid", Pete whipped out from stage left, and hopped down in front of her, pencil and paper in hand. She had a verse he wanted, and he transcribed it on the spot, and then stayed to sing a few more with us.
Blessings,
Barbara