WPL01264 – The Ultimate Folk Experience: The Story and Songs of the Great American Folk Music Revival

Featuring Roy Connors of the Great American Folk Music Revival The folk revival occurred in two phases. The first, from the ’30s to the ’50s was more social-minded and artists like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and the Weavers, Odetta, and Harry Belafonte regaled us with folk songs for labor unions, dustbowl refugees, ethnic diversity, and freedom. Unfortunately, McCarthyism drove many folk artists out of business, and those who hung on were reduced to singing, “On Top of Old Smokey”. But The Kingston Trio’s hit with “Tom Dooley” in 1957 suggested the public still clamored for folk music and The Kingston Trio reignited the folk revival. After the end of McCarthyism, the second phase of the folk revival supported both political and non-political artists. Political folksingers like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Peter, Paul, and Mary sang about peace, freedom, and social justice, while folkies like The Kingston Trio, New Christy Minstrels, and the Highwaymen sang about death, jilted lovers, trains, green grass, and salvation. This program brings you back to the folk revival with fascinating stories, slides, live music (guitars, banjo, autoharp, ukuleles), and beautiful harmony vocals, featuring the PinkSlip Duo, (Joan Friedenberg and Bill Bowen) with special guest Roy Connors, (formerly with the ’60s folk group, The Highwaymen) for a nostalgic, informative and fun-filled folk music sing-along.