Few figures deserve greater credit for the preservation of America's folk music traditions than Alan Lomax. Scouring the backroads, honky tonks and work camps of the Deep South, he unearthed a treasure trove of songs and singers, documenting the music of the common man for future generations to discover; through Lomax's pioneering efforts,... [+] Read More

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Although he started his career practicing law in Australia, Cecil Sharp would become the central figure in the English dance and folksong revival early in the 20th century. Born in London in 1859, Sharp attended Uppingham and Clare College, Cambridge, and then immigrated to Australia. In 1889, he would change his career from law to music,... [+] Read More

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Dock Boggs was just one of the primeval hillbillies to record during the '20s, forgotten for decades until the folk revival of the '60s revived his career at the twilight of his life. Still, his dozen recordings from 1927 to 1929 are monuments of folk music, comprised of fatalistic hills ballads and blues like "Danville Girl," "Pretty Polly,"... [+] Read More

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Born a farmer's son in Goodman, MS, in 1867, John Lomax would play a central role in recording, preserving, and promoting American folk songs. Lomax grew up in rural Texas where he developed a love for cowboy songs and made a hobby of transcribing them. When he shared his work with professors at the University of Texas, they discouraged him from... [+] Read More

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