The thread reads like the question was, "who is your favorite "contemporary" folk singer or "folk revival" singer. How about

Huddie Ledbetter (whom I think no one has mentioned);

Mance Lipscome (ditto)

Ewan McColl (no argument there)

NLCR collectively,

And (if we are going to include an Irishman) Sean Mac Donchadha

But I would like to hear, sometime, anybody even remotely in a class with Leadbelly. There just aren't any.

Best disks, Leadbelly with the Golden Gate Quarted (remastered); The Lark in the Morning, and American Folk Songs for Children (Pete, Mike, Peggy and Penny Seeger.