Century's Most Influential Performers?

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Bugsy
Date: 02 Jan 00 - 02:38 AM

If it came to guitarists, Martin Simpson would have to be the one for me.

cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: phil
Date: 02 Jan 00 - 04:14 AM

Why, has no one mentioned the three who brought busking to the fore...Derrol Adams,Alex Cambell and Ramblin' Jack Elliot.

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: selby
Date: 02 Jan 00 - 11:10 AM

All performers hold special places in the heart's of all of us and in our minds make them influential. But I think the most influential are the least known the people who love the tradition in their own area. Those who enjoy and share with those who are intrested in what they do be it music singing or dancing. Long live the tradition in whatever country you may live. Keith

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 02 Jan 00 - 04:19 PM

Has anyone else noticed how seldom Elvis Presley was mentioned in this listing. I must admit he thrilled me not at all when he was alive and i refuse to lionize him in his death but now and then he had a style no one else came close to. If I had to pick a rock performer for this list it would be Sam Cooke.

Don

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Benjamin
Date: 02 Jan 00 - 04:46 PM

Gargoyle,

I'm a big fan of Phil Keaggy. I believe the story you are reffering to has nothing to do with Clapton. The story that I've heard (over and over) was that it was Hendrix. I guess Johny Carson asked Hendrix what it was like being the best guitarist in the world and Henrix said you'd have to ask Phil Keaggy.

I never believed the story for a number of reasons (one being that he has never confirmed this) but it is appearently documented on an old episode of Johny Carson.

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: northfolk/al cholger
Date: 02 Jan 00 - 09:16 PM

Totally agree with those that nominate Pete Seeger, who I believe had the most profound effect on defining, interpreting and spreading folk music...

Don and Mick spoke of Joe Hill, who saw music as a means to simplify a message so that language and cultural barriers could be bridged, and people could identify their common interests...

I'll add a couple others, Merle Travis/ Chet Atkins, and Uncle Dave Macon, for their effects on the traditional music that became "country".

And, although I don't know that they played anything more than the field recorder, John and Alan Lomax sure had a major influence in preserving this music.

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Warsaw Ed
Date: 15 Jul 02 - 04:24 PM

I came across this old Thread somewhat by accident and upon reading it quickly, I am somewhat stunned not to see the name of JOHN McCORMACK even once!! He was certainly influential for half the century in my clan. Ed

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: DMcG
Date: 15 Jul 02 - 05:15 PM

I am suprised some of these names haven't been mentioned yet from the UK side

Bob & Ron Copper, Sam Larner, Walter Pardon et al
The Young Tradition/Peter Bellamy
Ann Briggs
Ashley Hutchings

Although I don't think all of these were necessarily major 'players' in their own right, the influence each has/had is huge

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 15 Jul 02 - 11:19 PM

A few folks I didn't see listed:

The New Lost City Ramblers/Mike Seeger
John Prine
John Hartford
The Grateful Dead/Garcia & Grisman (for getting lots of folks of a rock mentality to listen to folk music)

Bruce

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Bull Am
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 12:25 AM

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'...

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 01:03 AM

Performers, Ground Breakers those copied to excess...

Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry (If he is in any way folk music. he did invent a certain type of performing and songwriting. His influence on the Beach boys and Beatles changed popular music), Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, Makem and Clancy's, Stan Rogers, Chieftians

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Folkie
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 08:32 AM

The Watersons - I first heard them in 1964 at the age of 14 and they changed my life.

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: boglion
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 06:15 PM

No mention of Christy Moore except in his time in Planxty! Surely the most extraordinary performer of Irish music last century.

My main influences:

Dylan - The Clancys - The Dubs - Roy Harper (and all the gang at Cousins) - a kind of lost period including Hendrix and Cream - Christy - Saw Doctors.

Then again it's all personal.

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 05:32 AM

I am very much surprised that the only people to mention Leadbelly so far have been the Norwegians (unless I missed something!).

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: GUEST,tandrink
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 05:02 PM

I haven't posted in about 6 months..but the fact that no one has mentioned Rev. Gary Davis has compelled me to add him. RGD was not only a great player in his own right, he personally taught a lot of the guys who keep the Country Blues/Fingerpicking tradition alive.

I'll also add: Son House Blind Willie McTell Big Bill Broonzy Muddy Waters (and Otis Spann and Jimmy Rogers from his band) ...I'm sure I'm leaving out other guys.

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 06:48 PM

Dear Selby (Keith)- I loved your post...that's it for me and should be for all of us. Enough of this name-dropping and big-fan stuff. Cheers to families, communities, all "unknown keepers" of the music, the stories, the loving memories saved and given to the new generations.

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: GUEST,Nathan in Texas
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 09:21 PM

For me, the Nitty Gritty Dirtband's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album was probably as influential as any individual listed. Of course, that's in part because it introduced me to so many greats. It also "legitimized" a whole genre of music to a kid who was too "cool" to recognize that there was anything worth listening to in "hillbilly" music.

Subject: RE: Century's Most Influential Performers?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 01:45 AM

The most influential folk performers...

Okay, this is obviously pretty subjective, so I'll say:

In semi-historical order...

Woody Guthrie

Leadbelly

Robert Johnson

Carl Sandburg

Burl Ives

Pete Seeger (and the Weavers)

Odetta

Joan Baez

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Bob Dylan

Gordon Lightfoot

Ian & Sylvia

Judy Collins

Joni Mitchell

There were others, many others, but for me those ones really stand out. Of them all, I think Buffy Sainte-Marie and Bob Dylan were and are utterly extraordinary, but like I said, it's subjective.

Gordon Lightfoot also gets less credit, often, than he deserves. His catalog of songs is incredible...it's like a cultural history of North America (with particular connections to Canada).

- LH