I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles in the days of the Summer of Love. My radio was full of the music of the Civil Rights movement, the Viet Nam era and every angle of the extraordinary music that came from those days. And so I sang. And sang. Even before then- as the youngest of four- I was influenced by the artists that my siblings were inhaling at the end of the Beat movement from the very "white" artists like The Kingston Trio, through the edgier Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Gordon Lightfoot to the soulful sounds of Miriam Makeba and Odetta. When the Beatles hit, my eyes were opened even wider. Because of Lennon/McCartney, the Beach Boys, the Beegees, the Byrds, Dan Fogelberg, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison and the Moody Blues I learned to love intricate vocal harmonies. Because I spent a few summers in the wilds of Arizona, I was introduced to and adored the simple truth of good Country music (sadly now an oxymoron) and learned to love Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Charley Pride. Because of bands like Buffalo Springfield (later to be Crosby, Stills Nash and Young and Poco), the Byrds and artists like Simon and Garfunkle , James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, I was knocked out by great songwriting . California was truly a great place to be inspired in the 70s- so many artists/bands were an irresistible combination of rock and country ( Linda Rondstat, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, the Eagles, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Grateful Dead) All these remarkable artists and many more are what morphed my world from what, I’m sure, my parents would have liked me to be- into what I really love doing- making music.

I think what set all this music apart- and what continues to make it different than today- was the confluence of great songs/songwriters and the mainstream. It was the last time that such numbers of great artist/ writers had record deals and were big sellers.

What I have loved about my years in Nashville, the Kerrville Folk Festival, playing at House Concerts and Folk Clubs has been the understanding that all that music still lives and thrives- it’s just that the artists remain relatively unknown. I wish the whole world knew about and lifted up artists like Dana Cooper, Richard Shindell, Cheryl Wheeler, Tom Kimmel, Johnsmith, Annie Gallup, L.J. Booth, Greg Greenway, Michael Lille, Karen Savoca and so many others. The world would be a smarter, more humorous, tender, peaceful place to be. It is a pleasure to rub shoulders with them all as we pass on the road.

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