I hope I haven't overlooked any contributors, but I count myself as the third to mention ol' Satchmo (Louis Armstrong). Believe you me, I will be the first to add my support to many of the other names mentioned (Woody, the Clancys, Doc, Pete, Ramblin', Bobby Zim, etc.). However, for me personally, Louis is a performer that applies to all genres, including folk. I think that there are too many folks who revel in Louis' legacy of soul, enthusiasm, and just plain love for music who aren't cognizant of his contributions. In terms of folk music, he brought to public light genres that had been a strong part of American musical tradition (blues, country, scat, etc) and combined them to form something new...Enough of my ramblin'...