Art,

In a way, everyone associated with performing folk music is in show business in one way or another. As soon as you start playing for the public professionally, you are in show business.

Show business is a tricky and fickle thing because it is about catering to a marketable taste. Pete Seeger is one of the greatest show business personalities that ever hit the stage but he would probably abhor my saying so. I admire him for this gift. His ability to communicate is phenomenal regardless of whether he was accepted by the media or not.

The point is, it's a matter of taste. Some like Elvis or Pete or both. But there is such a thing as a cultivated taste. Many other factors come in to play such as one's upbringing and values.

But the bottom line is that everyone is entitled to their opinion as to what they think is good or bad and it's OK not to like something for personal reasons. My view is that there's something pretty good in everything that surfaces professionally whether I like it or not.
But I'm also entitled not to like it for X reasons. Art, you don't have to apologize to anyone.

I don't care that much for Jimi Hendrix but I would have to be a fool to say that he wasn't incredibly great at what he did. But I can say also in the same breath that I found his music somewhat monotonous. But that's me. I find a Woody Guthrie song fascinating and there are those who would be bored to tears with it.

So, Art, you get to be as opinionated as anyone else on Mudcat without having to apologize. Keep it coming.

BTW it should be mentioned that Tom Dooley was popularized by the member of the Folksay Trio, Bob Carey, with Roger Sprung and Erik Darling. Bob was the one that came up with the little hiccup in "hang down your head Tom (hiccup) Dooley which was the hook that propelled the KT's version to fame and fortune. I think that hiccup sold more records than Frank Profitt could've imagined it doing.

Frank