Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Jean Ritchie Passes in Kentucky at Age 92

Kentucky folk singer and mountain dulcimer player (and builder) Jean Ritchie passed away yesterday. Jean came to NY in the 1940s, she and her husband George Pickow lived in Port Washington (on Long Island) for many years. Some years ago, when we were performing at the Port Washington Library, Jean and George came to see us. I didn't know they were in the audience until I offered a free Homegrown String Band CD to anyone in the audience who knew who Lily Mae Ledford or Tommy Jarrell were. Of course Jean knew who they were, she knew each personally, and had played music with both of them. Jean had a regal and (to my eyes) larger than life presence, she would have been American folk music royalty, if there was such a thing


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