Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: GUEST,Jeanie Stahl
Date: 22 Jun 19 - 11:02 PM

I was thrilled to find this thread after much googling trying to find what became of Peter. Today I was cleaning out some files and came across Peter’s pamphlet of original stories, Peter’s Progress, with an inscription by him. Someone earlier In this thread also mentioned the booklet. I had totally forgotten about Peter and was delighted to come across his name and writing. At dinner I told my husband about him and what a wonderful character he was and such a great proponent and lover of folk music.

When I met Peter, in the 1970’s, I was either still in college or just out and starting to perform at coffee houses in the Cambridge/Boston area, of course hanging around Passim, but also attending some of the fabulous jams at the Plough and Stars occasionally having the nerve to bring my guitar. So nice to read the fond memories of others. Boop, boop! For those of you who recall that.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 23 Jun 19 - 07:19 PM

I do! Those were the first words that popped into my head when I saw this thread had re-surfaced. Jeanie, we were hanging around the same places, at more or less the same time, from the sound of it - we probably passed each other at some stage. What a fantastic guy: a true original.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: GUEST,Jeanie Stahl
Date: 24 Jun 19 - 07:08 PM

So glad someone remembered Boop! Boop! I was wondering if I imagined it.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: GUEST,anglo
Date: 27 Jun 19 - 12:56 PM

I know him well, and still occasionally get letters from him. I played at a number of the concerts he produced at Odd Fellows Hall in Cambridge MA. I was told he was at the Caroline Paton memorial gathering in May, but I didn't see him there. It was, sadly, a cold miserable day and a number of people left relatively early including your truly.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 03 Jul 19 - 08:50 PM

Peter is doing well, now into his 80's.
The exciting news for all who know him and the wonderful ceilidh's,
concerts and albums he produced, is that his biographical memoir
is being prepared for publication.
The manuscript has been edited and is in the hands of a publisher.
Anyone lucky enough to have read Peter's Progress will have a good
idea of what to expect - tales of growing up in an oppressive socially regressive wealthy family, but exposure to traditional arts through family employees, and of the weird and wonderful path to producing superb traditional music events in Boston/Cambridge.
There will be more details available when a publication date is set.
Cheers, Thomas.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 04 Jul 19 - 03:50 PM

That's brilliant Thomas, thanks for the heads-up. Please be sure to post details here when they're out. Looking forward to it so much -

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 15 Jul 19 - 03:52 PM

Peter's book is titled "The Laughing Lesson - Antiquated Privileges & Popular Antiquities."

scheduled for fall publication.

Over the years various chapters have circulated - Peter has provided
some notable quotes regarding his writing:

"Wonderful Stories and well told" - Pete Seeger

"A great human victory" - Margaret Mead

"artistic triumph" - Betty Friedan

"very courageous writing" - Jonathan Kozol

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Elmore
Date: 13 Oct 19 - 01:42 AM

Peter's memoir "The Laughing Lesson" has been released recently. The publisher is Peter E. Randall of Portsmouth, NH.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Dec 19 - 02:25 PM

My copy of Laughing Lesson arrived in my mailbox Monday, but I didn't have time to open and peruse it until late that night after my Press Room weekly trad session.

The Laughing Lesson

Alas, there's no index , but I paged through the photographs and concert posters — so many familiar names: Howard Glasser, Maggi Peirce, Kossoy Sisters, Allan Block, Sandy Sheehan, Barbara Carns, Joan Sprung, Lisa Neustadt, John Roberts and Tony Barrand, Rick Lee and Lorraine Hammond (then Lee), Cliff Haslam, Paul Geremia, Sara Grey, Kendall Morse, Tom Gibney, Jerry Epstein, Linda Morley, and even Gill Burns, a singer from Liverpool whom Tom and I met early in 1981. Oh, and Tom's old singing partner in the Cuckoo's Nest, Jack Whyte, and Johnny Beggan, Seamus ("Shay") Walker, and Declan Hunt. And Mudcat's own Curmudgeon, my late husband Tom Hall makes his appearance on several pages. And so many more, but these are the people I've met over the past 40 years since I first got together with Tom/Curmudgeon.

I started reading the book the next morning with great gusto and I now (Thursday) have about 50 pages to go.

I first met Peter at a Watersons concert in 1981, but Tom told me many stories about him from Tom's Boston days and I've got his letters to Tom so I'm really looking forward to reading the book. Peter recorded Tom once on a compilation 2-LP set. Alas, Tom only got the LP that he WASN'T on.

Linn

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 12 Dec 19 - 10:05 PM

https://www.irishecho.com/2019/11/from-brahmin-to-bohemian/

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 13 Dec 19 - 03:04 PM

Mudcat's own Barry Finn is also mentioned in the book as is Neil Downey and Jan Downey.

And, of course, all the Irish and English singers and musicians Peter put concerts and events together in Boston for.

Linn

Subject: Peter memoir is out!
From: GUEST,PJ Johnson
Date: 02 May 20 - 03:10 PM

Hi everyone!

I am happy to announce Peter's memoir came out this fall. It is called "The Laughing Lesson" and chronicles Peter's journey from his rejection of upper class Newport to his evolution as a legend at Passim's, and everything in between.

Since many of you know Peter from his days in Cambridge, you may know about some of his antics. The book covers them! From when he worked as the Hayes-Bickford promotional gorilla to his days as the Turkey Man, and of course folk music.

The book chronicles his music from his first Ceilidh at Passim, to founding Living Folk, all the way to the present. I believe many of you are mentioned!

To buy the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Laughing-Lesson-Founder-Records-Concerts/dp/1942155301/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+laughing+lesson&qid=1588443594&sr=8-1

Please leave a review! Thanks!

If you want to contact Peter, email me at [e-mail]

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/The-Laughing-Lesson-Book-100595378232266/

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: GUEST
Date: 24 May 20 - 03:26 PM

Hello! It is Peter's son PJ, here. He is turning 85 tomorrow, and if you could send a short video wishing him happy birthday that would be incredible. If you can muster a song that would be magnificent, but a simple happy birthday will suffice as well. Thank you!

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 05 Oct 20 - 08:26 PM

On NOV 7 a ZOOM session will present Peter reading from his
memoir THE LAUGHING LESSON, along with music from some of the
performers on the Boston area folk scene.

Details, sign-in etc. will be forthcoming.

Save the date!

Cheers, Thomas.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 12:12 AM

Hi Mike Butler,
I've e-mailed you some information.
Cheers, Thomas.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 15 Oct 20 - 10:35 PM

Peter Johnson's son PJ is coordinating the LAUGHING LESSON
reading event. NOV 7 2020, 7pm.

signup:
Peter Johnson Laughing Lesson reading

RSVP to [e-mail]

facebook: https://fb.me/e/3tKmP7L5Y


Thomas.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 03 Nov 20 - 09:45 PM

Peter has provided the following list of people, many longtime
members of the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston (FSSGB) who
will be performing as part of the evening:

Lori Fassman
Annabelle Graetz (remember her as performing Balkan music years
ago as part of group Laduvane?)
Ruth Perry (MIT) - in the 60's at Cornell U. Ithaca NY part of
the group NORTH QUARRY ST.IRREGULARS who produced a recording
fundraiser for voter registration.....
Jane Shaw
Jan Green
Lorna Johnson
Peter Johnson,

Should be a wonderful evening, and it is free!

Thomas.

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 16 Sep 21 - 08:31 PM

Peter Johnson Memoir Celebration
Saturday, September 18, 2021, 2-4pm
•        Click on this link to: Join us on Zoom
•        Click on this link to watch the livestream on: our FSSGB page.
Please join us as we celebrate the publication of Peter Johnson’s long-awaited memoir, The Laughing Lesson, published by Peter E Randall Publisher. Peter is a long-time member of FSSGB, and is the founder of Living Folk Records and Concerts. We have tried to have this event in person, but circumstances have caused us to reschedule it several times now - so Zoom it is!
The event will feature music - I'll sing a few songs, Lori Fassman will sing a few, and we'll have some other special guests as well. There will be plenty of opportunities to sing along! Peter will do some readings from his book, and that's always so entertaining. It's going to be a fun afternoon, and I hope you can join us.
Peter is a singer, concert promoter, record producer, writer, traveler, prankster, husband, father, and a fixture of the Cambridge music scene for the last fifty years. He is a member of the family that started, and still manages, Fidelity Investments. As the founder of Living Folk Records and Concerts, he introduced a number of traditional musicians from Ireland and the British Isles to North American audiences, thereby shaping the trajectory of this important music genre as it gained a larger place in world music.
For more information, visit the publisher’s website: https://perpublisher.com/portfolio-item/the-laughing-lesson/

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: Felipa
Date: 16 Sep 21 - 08:56 PM

for the links to the 18 Sept event see https://www.fssgb.org/fssconc.shtml#johnson2021

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Nov 22 - 09:32 PM

wow. just wow.
I was the little girl sitting under the bar at the Plough for so many sessions...
My father was Jack Whyte, a musician and poet and friend to Peter.
One of my earliest memories is of Peter at our house for dinner, bored kids at the table, and Peter taking a bowl of mashed potatoes and turning it over on his head.
we were no longer bored...
I am a writer and working on a small book- for children, which covers the scene from a small persons perspective. Reading your memories and stories is a tremendous thing- you back up my memory, I didn't make it up!
Margret Barry really was at our kitchen table drinking tea out of a giant soup bowl...
and so much more. Thank you. I am so privileged to have grown up with this music, this ethos.
and thank you to Davey O'Doherty (sp?) for teaching me tunes when all I had was the white plastic recorder I stole from third grade music class....the Butterfly and the Battering Ram will be forever in my fingers...

Subject: RE: Boston's folk music man Peter Johnson
From: keberoxu
Date: 17 Nov 22 - 07:01 PM

Peter Johnson is now 87.
It doesn't seem possible.