Poss frequently acknowledged that he didn’t have a very conventional career path. “I used to joke that I had the perfect qualifications for being in the music business,” Poss once wrote. “I had no business training; in fact, no formal music background either but I teach Sociology of deviant Behavior.”

After graduating from Duke, he took a position with County Records in Floyd, Virginia. Poss and its owner, Dave Freeman, launched Sugar Hill Records in 1978, embracing what Poss called “contemporary music grounded in traditional music roots.” A self-described “wayward academic in an entrepreneurial role,” Poss assumed full control of the label in 1980, and moved it to Durham. He operated the label from there until its sale to Welk Music Group 20 years later. He became the group’s chairman in 2002. It’s now part of Concord Music, which also owns Rounder Records.

Among the many artists of note who recorded for Sugar Hill Records during Poss’ tenure were Pat Alger, Byron Berline, Ronnie Bowman, Sam Bush, Guy Clark, Mike Cross, Rodney Crowell, Jerry Douglas, Sara Evans, Cathy Fink, Butch Hancock, Hot Rize, The Infamous Stringdusters, Chris Hillman, Wanda Jackson, Sarah Jarosz, Robert Earl Keen, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Lonesome River Band, Lyle Lovett, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Nickel Creek, Tim O’Brien, Dolly Parton, Dirk Powell, The Red Clay Ramblers, Peter Rowan, Ricky Skaggs, Darrell Scott, Marty Stuart, Bryan Sutton, Chris Thile, Townes Van Zandt, Doc Watson, and Jesse Winchester.

“The identity peg for Sugar Hill is having that traditional connection to contemporary music,” Poss Told Blue ridge Outdoors in 2008. “Some have taken to describing a ‘Sugar Hill Sound,” but I am not going to try to define that. To me, it’s what connect Doc Watson to Chris Thile, ricky skaggs to Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt to dolly Parton. They all exhibit a rootedness in their contemporary expressions of music. I like it because the music comes from a place. It’s not prefabricated or manufactured.”

Douglas and Skaggs had been part of a bluegrass group called Boone Creek, whose One Way Track album was Sugar Hill’s first release in 1978. In a May 18 Facebook post, Douglas wrote of Poss: “His dream was to have a label that mirrored the same idea as Sam Phillips and his famous Sun label, which catered to a specific audience and created a new genre, Rockabilly Plus. Barry knew an audience was there for a specific form of music (bluegrass) and there were certain bands who could grow that audience and the music would evolve with the growth of that audience.”

Douglas, who also produced a number of recordings for Sugar Hill Records, noted that he and Poss were “very close friends. Confidants really. He was like my wingman and brother at any event we collided with. We would spend hours talking about the direction of the music and the parameters he wanted his label to maintain no matter the current climate.” Poss was also godfather to Douglas’ daughter Nola. “Barry loved my family, and Jill and I, along with our children, will forever press his memory closer to our hearts.”

In addition to spending many years at the helm of Sugar Hill Records, Poss was a founding board member of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky and helped to launch the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA).

“Barry Poss was not just a champion of roots music and the artists that made it, but he was instrumental in the founding of our organization,” Ken White, IBMA’s executive director, said in a statement. “For that and so much more, we will always be grateful.”

Poss was a recipient of the IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 1998. The Americana Music Association also honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 in recognition of Sugar Hill’s pivotal role in both preserving and reinvigorating traditional music, while he was inducted into the Oak Ridge Music Hall of Fame in 2023.

Closer to home, Poss also served on the boards of the Carolina Theater, the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, MerleFest, the North Carolina, Folklife Institute, and WUNC-FM.

While many artists and others have shared tributes to Poss since his passing, for his part Poss once said: “It’s the artists who make the music to which I’m the most indebted. They had something important to say. They needed to be heard. And I wanted to be part of their creative lives – because it mattered.”

The November charts are based on 13,430 airplays reported on 524 playlists submitted by 137 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses. The top albums and songs charts are compiled under the auspices of Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.

A three-CD retrospective collection, Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary Roots & Branches, features socially conscious contemporary, folk and roots music by a wide array of established and lesser-known musicians who have recorded for Appleseed Recordings. Founded by activist attorney Jim Musselman, the Pennsylvania-based independent label is dedicated to “sowing the seeds of social justice through music and exploring the roots and branches of folk and world music,” and it contributes a percentage of its profits to environmental, human rights, and other progressive organizations.

The collection’s 57 tracks include a few previously unreleased songs by Donovan, John Wesley Harding, Tom Morello, Tim Robbins, Bruce Springsteen, Jesse Winchester, and more. Among the other featured artists are Eric Andersen, Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, David Bromberg, Jackson Browne, Aoife Clancy, Johnny Clegg, Judy Collins, Ani DiFranco, Lila Downs, Jonathan Edwards, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Dick Gaughan, John Gorka, Emmylou Harris, Kim & Reggie Harris, Levon Helm, Anne Hills, Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sharon Katz & the Peace Train, Dolores Keane, The Kennedys, Roger McGuinn, Natalie Merchant, Tom Paxton, Joel Rafael Band, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Rush, Tom Russell, Tommy Sands, Pete Seeger and his siblings Mike and Peggy, Al Stewart, John Stewart, and Sweet Honey in the Rock.

“Courage for the Morning” is the first single off Woven Waters, the sophomore release by Tellico. The Asheville, NC-based four-piece band also had November’s second most-played album on folk radio and topped the month’s Top Artists chart. Its sound blends Southern Appalachian folk, Americana, bluegrass, old time, and blues – a musical mix that the band’s Facebook page calls Appalachiacana. Noted Irish musician John Doyle produced the band’s new album.

Top Albums of November 2018

1. Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots and Branches by Various Artists (100)
2. Woven Waters by Tellico (93)
3. Pickup Cowboy by Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboys (66)
4. Horrible World by Kathy Kallick Band (63)
5. More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 14 by Bob Dylan (60)
6. A Startle of Wings by Noah Zacharin (57)
7. Royal Traveller by Missy Raines (47)
8. Family Recipe by Michael Jerling (42)
9. Last Day on This Earth by David Roth (41)
9. Don’t Apologize by Beth Snapp (41)
9. Reflections by Andy and Judy (41)
12. Vintage by John Flynn (40)
12. Little Beast by Lucy Wainwright Roche (40)
14. Grenades by Kaia Kater (38)
15. Where Do I Come From by Maggie Roche (36)
16. Some People I Know by The Brother Brothers (34)
17. Stardust Lodge by Grain Thief (33)
17. Home for the Harvest by Craig Bickhardt (33)
17. She Remembers Everything by Rosanne Cash (33)
20. Damn Sure Blue by Kate Campbell (32)
20. Live at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame by The Earls of Leicester (32)
22. Secularia by Eliza Gilkyson (31)
23. Thanksgiving by Rachel Baiman (30)
23. The Hillbenders by The Hillbenders (30)
23. Invisible Forces by The Whispering Tree (30)
23. Rize Up by Roy Zimmerman (30)
23. Pretty Bird by Kathy Mattea (30)
23. A Good Dog Is Lost: A Collection of Ron Hynes Songs by Ken Tizzard (30)
29. Everyday Street by Lucy Kaplansky (28)
29. Wings by Zoe Speaks (28)
31. Vote by Mike Laureanno (26)
31. Songs of the Plains by Colter Wall (26)
31. Rise by Lucky Nows (26)
34. Roses in November by Tret Fure (25)
34. Shout and Shine by Fink, Marxer & Gleaves (25)
36. Dance in the Street by Donna the Buffalo (23)
37. Music of Our People by Darol Anger and Emy Phelps (22)
37. The Bloom of Youth by Childsplay (22)
39. Dead Reckoning by Jellyman’s Daughter (21)
39. The Longest Night of the Year Volume One by Various Artists (21)
39. King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Miller by Various Artists (21)
39. Austinology – Alleys of Austin by Michael Martin Murphey (21)
43. Triumph by Kate Callahan (20)
43. Keep the Flame Alive by Spook Handy (20)
43. Down the Road Wherever by Mark Knopfler (20)
43. March Through Storms by House of Hamill (20)
43. The Man I’m Supposed to Be by Rod Abernethy (20)
43. Reckless Abandon by Susan Shann (20)
43. Welcome to the Ether by Wes Collins (20)
50. Sentimental Season by Randall Kromm (19)
50. The Man With Everything by Matt Campbell (19)
52. Live From Chester by D.B. Rielly (18)
52. Stubborn in My Blood by Tia McGraff (18)
54. The Hermit’s Spyglass by Ben Bedford (17)
54. River’s Rising by Nancy Cassidy (17)
54. Rifles and Rosary Beads by Mary Gauthier (17)
57. Stages by Storyhill (16)
57. Supposed to Fly by David Graff (16)
57. Nature by Paul Kelly (16)
57. Bright Hills by Appalucians (16)
57. No One Travels Alone by Jon Brooks (16)
57. Didn’t He Ramble: Songs of Charlie Poole by David Davis and the Warrior River Boys (16)
57. Make Your Own Luck by Mustard’s Retreat (16)
64. Sing the Winter Away by Naming the Twins (15)
64. The Broken Heart of Everything by David Francey (15)
64. Wilderness Years by Jory Nash (15)
64. Further Down the Line by Scott Cook (15)
64. Barry Abernathy and Darrell Webb Present Appalachian Road Show by Barry Abernathy and Darrell Webb (15)
64. See You Around by I’m With Her (15)
64. It’s All About the Song by Tim Hildebrandt (15)
64. Let It Pass by Stray Birds (15)
64. The River and the Light by Martha Scanlan (15)

Top Songs OF November 2018

A three-CD retrospective collection, Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots & Branches, features socially conscious contemporary, folk and roots music by a wide array of established and lesser-known musicians who have recorded for Appleseed Recordings. Founded by activist attorney Jim Musselman, the Pennsylvania-based independent label is dedicated to “sowing the seeds of social justice through music and exploring the roots and branches of folk and world music” and contributes a percentage of its profits to environmental, human rights, and other progressive organizations.

The collection’s 57 tracks include a few previously unreleased songs by Donovan, John Wesley Harding, Tom Morello, Tim Robbins, Bruce Springsteen, Jesse Winchester, and more. Among the other featured artists are Eric Andersen, Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, David Bromberg, Jackson Browne, Aoife Clancy, Johnny Clegg, Judy Collins, Ani DiFranco, Lila Downs, Jonathan Edwards, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Dick Gaughan, John Gorka, Emmylou Harris, Kim & Reggie Harris, Levon Helm, Anne Hills, Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sharon Katz & the Peace Train, Dolores Keane, The Kennedys, Roger McGuinn, Natalie Merchant, Tom Paxton, Joel Rafael Band, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Rush, Tom Russell, Tommy Sands, Pete Seeger and his siblings Mike and Peggy, Al Stewart, John Stewart, and Sweet Honey in the Rock.

John Flynn, a folk-rock troubadour and social justice activist following in the footsteps of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger, has been performing and recording for more than three decades. He has brought his powerful voice and songs to stages at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, among others. “She Persisted” is from his latest release, Vintage. Here’s a link to the song’s lyrics on his website: https://www.johnflynn.net/jfnet/lyrics/she_persisted.htm.

Top Albums of October 2018

1. Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots and Branches by Various Artists (111)
2. Horrible World by Kathy Kallick Band (87)
3. Live at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame by Earls of Leicester (83)
4. Vintage by John Flynn (77)
5. Little Beast by Lucy Wainwright Roche (74)
6. Grenades by Kaia Kater (72)
7. Everyday Street by Lucy Kaplansky (67)
7. Music of Our People by Darol Anger and Emy Phelps (67)
7. Pretty Bird by Kathy Mattea (67)
10. Damn Sure Blue by Kate Campbell (66)
11. The Bloom of Youth by Childsplay (64)
12. Family Recipe by Michael Jerling (54)
13. Last Day on This Earth by David Roth (50)
14. Home for the Harvest by Craig Bickhardt (49)
15. Royal Traveller by Missy Raines (47)
16. Songs of the Plains by Colter Wall (45)
17. Make Your Own Luck by Mustard’s Retreat (40)
18. Secularia by Eliza Gilkyson (39)
19. Dead Reckoning by Jellyman’s Daughter (38)
20. One at a Time by George Mann (37)
20. Nowthen by Rich Krueger (37)
20. Wings by Zoe Speaks (37)
23. Acrobats by Moors and McCumber (36)
24. Reckless Abandon by Susan Shann (34)
25. Reflection by Andy and Judy (33)
25. March Though Storms by House of Hammil (33)
27. Roses in November by Tret Fure (32)
27. Shout and Shine by Fink, Marxer & Gleaves (32)
29. Ready to Go by Reggie Harris (31)
29. The Hermit’s Spyglass by Ben Bedford (31)
29. 40th Anniversary Bash by Hot Rize (31)
29. The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine (31)
33. Sing Me Back Home: The DC Tapes by Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard (29)
34. This Too Shall Light by Amy Helm (28)
35. Invisible Forces by The Whispering Tree (27)
35. Didn’t He Ramble: Songs of Charlie Poole by David Davis and the Warrior River Boys (27)
37. Black Cowboys by Dom Flemons (25)
37. Lucky Star by Brooks Williams (25)
39. No One Travels Alone by Jon Brooks (24)
39. Welcome to the Ether by Wes Collins (24)
41. The Broken Heart of Everything by David Francey (23)
41. Sentimental Season by Randall Kromm (23)
41. Holler by Amy Ray (23)
41. Kanawha County Flatpicking by Tyler Grant and Robin Kessinger (23)
41. Homestead Hands by Lark and the Loon (23)
41. Years in the Making by Loudon Wainwright III (23)
41. Beginning Again by Rod Macdonald (23)
48. Lovers Tree by Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan (22)
49. 2018 by Holly Near (21)
49. Armadillo on a Hot Tin Roof by Vi Wickam and Justin Branum (21)
49. Don’t Apologize by Beth Snapp (21)
49. Been on Your Side by Courtney Hartman and Taylor Ashton (21)
53. Rize Up by Roy Zimmerman (20)
53. Hot Jazz, Cool Blues and Hard-Hitting Songs by Barbara Dane (20)
53. Help Me to Believe by Charlie Koch (20)
53. Glory Bound by Wooks (20)
53. Ghost Light by John McCutcheon (20)
58. Triumph by Kate Callahan (19)
58. Some People I Know by The Brother Brothers (19)
58. A Good Dog Is Lost by Ken Tizzard (19)
58. Vote by Mike Laureanno (19)
58. Time to Fly by Mare Wakefield and Nomad (19)
58. The River and the Light by Martha Scanlan (19)
58. True in Time by John Gorka (19)
65. Full Detroit by Paul Sachs (18)
65. Come Hell or High Water by Malcolm Holcombe (18)
65. See You Around by I’m With Her (18)
65. Letters Never Read by Dori Freeman (18)
69. Supposed to Fly by David Graff (17)
69. Dying Star by Ruston Kelly (17)
69. Wilderness Years by Jory Nash (17)
69. Quarter Past Tonight by Chicago Farmer (17)
69. The Lies the Poets Tell by Laurie MacAllister (17)

Top Songs of October 2018

Best American Roots Performance

• “Statesboro Blues,” Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal
• “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” Rosanne Cash
• “And When I Die,” Billy Childs Featuring Alison Krauss & Jerry Douglas
• “The Old Me Better,” Keb’ Mo’ Featuring The California Feet Warmers
• “Destination,” Nickel Creek

Best American Roots Song

• “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” Rosanne Cash
• “Just So Much,” Jesse Winchester
• “The New York Trains,” The Del McCoury Band
• “Pretty Little One,” Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers Featuring Edie Brickell
• “Terms of My Surrender,” John Hiatt

Best Americana Album

• The River & the Thread, Rosanne Cash
• Terms of My Surrender, John Hiatt
• Bluesamericana, Keb’ Mo’
• A Dotted Line, Nickel Creek
• Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, Sturgill Simpson

Best Bluegrass Album

• The Earls of Leicester, The Earls of Leicester
• Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe, Noam Pikelny
• Cold Spell, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
• Into My Own, Bryan Sutton
• Only Me, Rhonda Vincent

Best Blues Album

• Common Ground – Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Play And Sing The Songs Of Big Bill Broonzy, Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin
• Promise of a Brand New Day, Ruthie Foster
• Juke Joint Chapel, Charlie Musselwhite
• Decisions, Bobby Rush With Blinddog Smokin’
• Step Back, Johnny Winter

Best Folk Album

• Three Bells, Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas & Rob Ickes
• Follow The Music, Alice Gerrard
• The Nocturne Diaries, Eliza Gilkyson
• Remedy, Old Crow Medicine Show
• A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble, Jesse Winchester

Best Regional Roots Music Album

• Light The Stars, Bonsoir, Catin
• Hanu ‘A’ala, Kamaka Kukona
• Love’s Lies, Magnolia Sisters
• The Legacy, Jo-El Sonnier
• Ceremony, Joe Tohonnie Jr.

Among the nominees for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album are Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer for Bass & Mandolin. Thile also is part of Nickel Creek. Bass & Mandolin also is in the mix for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, as is Keb’ Mo’s Bluesamericana. Glen Campbell’s very moving/poignant “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” co-written with Julian Raymond and the final song recorded by the ailing country music legend, is among the nominees for Best Country Song of the Year.

The Grammy Awards will be presented by The Recording Academy on Sunday, February 8, 2015. A live broadcast of the major award presentations will air on CBS television stations from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The April 2014 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 14,054 airplays from 132 different DJs. The number of reported spins (airplays) is shown in parentheses, while label and release dates appear in brackets. They are posted with permission on AcousticMusicScene.com.

Top Albums of April 2014

1: “Carter Girl,” Carlene Carter [Rounder, 4/14] (69)
“Black Jack David”
“Me And The Wildwood Rose”
“Blackie’s Gunman”
“I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow”
2: “Louder Than Words,” The Henry Girls [thehenrygirls.com, 1/14] (64)
“Weather”
“James Monroe”
“No Matter What You Say”
“Reason To Believe”
3: “Pretty Bird,” Cosy Sheridan [Waterbug, new] (61)
“Pretty Bird”
“Drive On”
“Rise Out Of The Water”
“Sing Goodbye”
4: “A Permeable Life,” Carrie Newcomer [Available Light, 4/14] (57)
“Every Little Bit Of It”
“Room At The Table”
“Forever Ray”
“Light In The Window”
5: “Bright Side Of Down,” John Gorka [Red House, 3/14] (56)
“Really Spring”
“She’s That Kind Of Mystery”
“Bright Side Of Down”
6: “Cut To The Chase,” Kathy Kallick [Live Oak, 2/14] (55)
“Tryin’ So Hard To Get To You”
“Rustler’s Girl”
“Same Ol’ Song”
7: “Out Among The Stars,” Johnny Cash [Columbia, 3/14] (54)
“Baby Ride Easy”
“Out Among The Stars”
“Don’t You Think It’s Come Our Time”
“I’m Movin’ On”
8: “The Nocturne Diaries,” Eliza Gilkyson [Red House, 3/14] (53)
“Eliza Jane”
“Fast Freight”
“Midnight Oil”
9: “Dream A Little Dream,” Katie Glassman & Snapshot [katieglassman.com, 3/14] (52)
“Liza Jane”
“Good Times Gone By”
“I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine”
9: “One Evening In May,” Laurie Lewis [Spruce And Maple, 1/14] (52)
“Ring Of Fire”
“Crooked Miles”
“Garden Grow”
“Kisses”
11: “Long Time… Seldom Scene,” Seldom Scene [Smithsonian/Folkways, new] (49)
“Wait A Minute”
“Hickory Wind”
“Big Train”
12: “Race To The Bottom,” Paddy Mills [Ormal Nye, 2/14] (41)
“Bay View Massacre”
“Race To The Bottom”
“Fox In The Barnyard”
“When Spring Comes Around”
13: “I’ll Swing My Hammer With Both My Hands,” Cahalen Morrison And Eli West [cahalenandeli.com, 2/14] (38)
“Fiddlehead Fern”
“Livin’ In America”
“Pocket Full Of Dust”
14: “A Dotted Line,” Nickel Creek [Nonesuch, new] (37)
“21st Of May”
“Destination”
“Elephant In The Corn”
“Elsie”
14: “Epilogue,” Ronstadt Generations [ronstadtgenerations.com, new] (37)
“16 Tons”
“Riders In The Sky”
“I Know What I Know”
16: “Flat Earth Diary,” Krista Detor [Tightrope, 1/14] (36)
“Always Somewhere”
“Belle Of The Ball”
“Honey Down A String”
17: “New Whirled Order,” Claudia Schmidt [Red House, 3/14] (34)
“Nothing”
“Strong Woman Has A Bad Day Polka”
“Already”
17: “Tarpaper Sky,” Rodney Crowell [New West, new] (34)
“Flyboy And The Kid”
“Long Journey Home”
“Fever On The Bayou”
19: “Bad Dog Buffet,” Vance Gilbert [Disismye, 2/14] (33)
“God Bless Everyone”
“For Evelyne”
“First Ring”
19: “Looking Into You: A Tribute To Jackson Browne,” Various Artists [Music Road, 4/14] (33)
“Rock Me On The Water,” Keb’ Mo’
“Before The Deluge,” Eliza Gilkyson
“Call It A Loan,” Shawn Colvin
19: “The Turning Point,” Tim Grimm [Cavalier, 9/13] (33)
“Blame It On The Dog”
“King Of The Folksingers”
“Rovin’ Gambler”
22: “Love Filling Station,” Jesse Winchester [Appleseed, 2009] (32)
“Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding”
“Bless Your Foolish Heart”
“I Turn To My Guitar”
23: “Checks & Love Letters,” Bernice Lewis [bernicelewis.com, new] (31)
“From Us”
“Checks And Love Letters”
“I Wanna Be In The Band”
23: “For Keeps,” Carrie Elkin And Danny Schmidt [Red House, new] (31)
“2 White Clouds”
“Company Of Friends”
“Kiss Me Now”
23: “How Red Is The Blood,” Tattletale Saints [Old Oak, 3/13] (31)
“Complicated Man”
“Fell Upon The Fields”
“Hank”
23: “Love Runner,” Mollie O’Brien And Rich Moore [Remington Road, 1/14] (31)
“Sunday Street”
“Love Runner”
“Train Home”
27: “The Best Of Jesse Winchester,” Jesse Winchester [Rhino, 2012] (30)
“Mississippi You’re On My Mind”
“Brand New Tennessee Waltz”
“Yankee Lady”
27: “Tell You In Earnest,” Matt And Shannon Heaton [mattandshannonheaton.com, 4/14] (30)
“Cruel Salt Sea”
“Gallant Hussar”
29: “Everywhere I Go,” Shari Ulrich [Borealis, 3/14] (28)
“One Sky”
“This Life”
“Everywhere I Go”
29: “Get A Life,” Warren G. Hardings [thewarrenghardings.com, new] (28)
“Treehouse”
“Devil’s In The Roots”
31: “Gentleman Of Leisure,” Jesse Winchester [Sugar Hill, 1999] (27)
“That’s What Makes You Strong”
“Club Manhattan”
32: “Words And Music,” Byrd & Street [byrdandstreet.com, 1/14] (26)
“I’m Gonna Swim”
“Old Out Of Tune Guitar”
33: “The River And The Thread,” Rosanne Cash [Blue Note, 1/14] (25)
“50,000 Watts”
“Biloxi”
33: “Silver Ladder,” Peter Mulvey [Signature, 4/14] (25)
“You Don’t Have To Tell Me”
“Lies You Forgot You Told”
35: “Goody Shoes,” Squirrel Hillbillies [Self, new] (24)
“Old Dry Bones”
“I Can”
35: “The Promise,” Corinne West Band [Make, 2009] (24)
“Everybody’s Talkin”
“Lily Ann”
“The Promise”
35: “Robby Hecht,” Robby Hecht [Old Man Henry, 3/14] (24)
“Sea And The Shore”
“I Don’t Believe It”
38: “Everything Is Great,” Erik Balkey [Hudson Harding, 2012] (23)
“Baseball In My Blood”
“Everything Is Great”
38: “Future Pilot,” We’re About 9 [circanine.com, 1/14] (23)
“Prime Of My Life”
“Hardest Thing To Prove”
38: “Live,” Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers Featuring Edie Brickell [Rounder, 3/14] (23)
“Crow”
“Jubilation Day”
38: “Poet On The Moon,” Mare Wakefield & Nomad [marewakefield.com, 3/14] (23)
“Clementine”
“First Poet On The Moon”
38: “When The Ink Dries,” West My Friend [Grammar Fight, new] (23)
“Dark And Deep”
“Troubles”
43: “Something Worth Having,” Molasses Creek [molassescreek.com, 1/14] (22)
“My Window Faces The South”
“Choo Choo Yazoo”
44: “Easy Gone,” Ray Bonneville [Red House, new] (21)
“Where Has My Easy Gone”
“2 Bends In The Road”
44: “Flying Dream,” Catie Curtis [Self, 2/14] (21)
“4 Walls”
“Voyager”
46: “Inside Llewyn Davis,” Various Artists [Nonesuch, 11/13] (20)
“Green, Green Rocky Road,” Dave Van Ronk
“Death Of Queen Jane,” Oscar Isaac
47: “Another Roller Coaster,” Scott And Michelle Dalziel [Dl Arts, 3/13] (19)
“Ballad Of Kate Shelley”
“Feather In A Storm”
47: “At Ken Sanders Rare Books,” Kate MacLeod [Waterbug, 1/14] (19)
“Prairyerth”
“Blue Highways”
47: “Diner In The Sky,” The Amigos [theamigosband.bandcamp.com, 1/14] (19)
“Hey Joe”
“Cabin On The Hill”
47: “Let It Go,” The Infamous Stringdusters [High Country, 4/14] (19)
“Let It Go”
“I’ll Get Away”
47: “Punishing The Myth,” Grant Peeples And The Peeples Republik [Gatorbone, 3/14] (19)
“Who Woulda Thunk It?”
“Hanging”
47: “Somewhere Far Away,” Bradford Lee Folk And The Bluegrass Playboys [bradfordleefolk.com, new] (19)
“Foolish Game Of Love”
“Trains Don’t Lie”
53: “The Waymores,” The Waymores [waymores.net, 2012] (18)
“Sweet Companion”
54: “Berrymania,” Steve Gillette And Cindy Mangsen [Compass Rose, 12/13] (17)
“Mr. And Mrs. Noah”
“Walking With Roget”
54: “Country Boy: A Bluegrass Tribute To John Denver,” Special Consensus [Compass, new] (17)
“Eagles And Horses”
“Wild Montana Skies”
54: “Jesse Winchester: Live From Mountain Stage,” Jesse Winchester [Blue Plate, 2001] (17)
“Brand New Tennessee Waltz”
“Yankee Lady”
54: “Some 1 Like U,” Kathy Moser [Self, 2009] (17)
“Big Yellow Taxi”
“I Will Follow You Into The Dark”
54: “Woodstock,” Heather Maloney And Darlingside [Signature, 3/14] (17)
“Woodstock”
“No Shortcuts”
59: “22 Days,” John McCutcheon [Appalseed, 10/13] (16)
“Dry Land Fish”
“Of An Age”
59: “Gathering,” Poor Angus [Borealis, 1/14] (16)
“Never Come Back”
“Gathering”
59: “Kerri Powers,” Kerri Powers [kerripowers.com, 1/14] (16)
“Tallulah Send A Car For Me”
“Buttercup”
59: “Memories And Moments,” Tim O’Brien And Darrell Scott [Full Skies, 9/13] (16)
“Memories And Moments”
59: “Only Me,” Rhonda Vincent [Upper Management, 1/14] (16)
“Busy City”
“Only Me”
64: “Down To The Roots,” Lowell Levinger [Grandpa Raccoon, 1/14] (15)
“Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me”
“Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out”
64: “Jesse Winchester,” Jesse Winchester [Wounded Bird, 1970] (15)
“Brand New Tennessee Waltz”
“Yankee Lady”
64: “Sleeping Dogs,” C. Daniel Boling [Berkalin, 11/13] (15)
“Pontificating Paradox”
67: “Pressed For Time,” Burning Bridget Cleary [burningbridgetcleary.com, 6/13] (14)
“Oh My Little Darling/ Fire On The Mountain”
“On A Sea Of Fleur De Lis”
68: “Build Me Up From Bones,” Sarah Jarosz [Sugar Hill, 9/13] (13)
“Build Me Up From Bones”
“Mile On The Moon”
68: “Dot The Dragon’s Eyes,” Hanneke Cassel [Self, 12/13] (13)
“Dot The Dragon’s Eyes”
“Marathon”
68: “Down Home Divas,” Brooksie Wells [Self, 11/13] (13)
“Circumstance”
“In Your Hands”
68: “Endless Ocean,” The Tuttles With A. J. Lee [Back Studio, 6/13] (13)
“Where The Old Red River Flows”
68: “Folk Singer Vol. 1,” Willie Watson [Acony, new] (13)
“Bring It With You When You Come”
“Rock Salt And Nails”
68: “The Game,” Blue Highway [Rounder, 1/14] (13)
“Change Of Faith In Tennessee”
“The Game”
68: “The Haden Triplets,” The Haden Triplets [Third Man, 2/14] (13)
“Making Believe”
68: “Let It Choose You,” Adam Carroll [Down Hole, new] (13)
“Old Child Country Star”
68: “The List Of Whales,” Carrie Ferguson [Walking Songs, 1/14] (13)
“Sunlight”
68: “Madness Of Happiness,” Truckstop Honeymoon [Squirrel, new] (13)
“Home Is Not A Hotel”
“Little Red Bird”
68: “Pennsylvania Coal,” Irene Kelley [Patio, 2/14] (13)
“Garden Of Dreams”
68: “Some Part Of The Truth,” Brother Sun [brothersunmusic.com, 2/13] (13)
“In The Name Of Love”

Top Songs of April 2014

Born (ironically – see below) on a military base in Bossier City, Louisiana, Winchester grew up in rural northern Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. Although he took piano lessons for 10 years and played organ in church, Winchester began playing guitar in bands while in high school. A 1966 graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts, where he majored in German, he also spent a year studying overseas and toured around Germany with a rock band. As the Vietnam War raged in1967, he fled the U.S. and moved to Canada to avoid the draft. “Yankee Lady,” one of his best-known songs and his first hit in Canada, was inspired by that experience and has been covered by Brewer & Shipley, Tim Hardin and Matthews’ Southern Comfort. Although President Carter granted him and many other war resistors amnesty in 1977, Winchester spent 25 years based in Montreal before returning to the U.S. and settling in Charlottesville in 2002.

Robbie Robertson of the Band produced Winchester’s self-titled debut album in 1970. The album, also featuring fellow Band-mate Levon Helm on drums and mandolin (with Todd Rundgren as engineer), reached # 26 on the Canadian radio charts and sported songs that have since been covered by a wide array of recording artists.. Winchester released several more albums during the 1970s. However, unable to tour in the U.S., the self-imposed exile with a light, honey-voiced southern drawl became known primarily as a songwriter.

Joan Baez, The Everly Brothers and Anne Murray, among others, recorded his song “Brand New Tennessee Waltz,” while Jimmy Buffett and Tom Rush have recorded “Biloxi” and “Defying Gravity.” Wynona Judd, Nicolette Larson, Reba McEntire, Michael Martin Murphey, George Strait and Wilson Pickett are among the other artists who have recorded his songs.

In a recent Facebook post, Baez called Winchester “A man who held the audience in the palm of his hand without moving an inch. One of the best songwriters on earth.”
The American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP) recognized him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Winchester released his tenth and final studio album, Love Filling Station, in 2009 and reportedly had recently completed another one called A Reasonable Amount of Trouble. He was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in 2011. In 2012, his friend Jimmy Buffett’s label released Quiet About It: A Tribute to Jesse Winchester. In a testament to how revered he was by his fellow artists, the album features Buffet, Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello, Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Little Feat, Lyle Lovett, Mac McAnally, James Taylor and Allen Toussaint covering some of his best known songs.

Here’s how Winchester announced the news of the tribute album on his own website: “When I was sick last year, fixing to die, some friends decided to make a CD of various artists performing my songs. Jimmy Buffett wrote me around Christmastime with the news. I struggled out of my chair and did a little boogaloo around the living room. I guess I wasn’t that sick.”

Besides his wife Cindy, Jesse Winchester leaves behind a daughter, two sons, a stepdaughter, three grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, a brother and a sister. He also leaves a pantheon of songs and an indelible mark on the world of music.

In addition to the award winners who were selected by AMA members from among a group of nominees whose eligibility was based on work released between May 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010, Lifetime Achievement Award honorees also were recognized. They include Wanda Jackson, the queen of rockabilly and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member (Performance); John Mellencamp, the gritty, blue-collar honky-tonk heartland rocker (Songwriting); Luke Lewis, chairman of Universal Music Group Nashville, which counts Lost Highway among its imprints (Executive); Greg Leisz, a noted lap and pedal steel guitarist and mandolinist, whose work can be heard on recordings by Lucinda Williams, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and more (Instrumental); and Brian Ahern, who has produced albums by Emmylou Harris, George Jones, Rodney Crowell, Jesse Winchester and Ricky Skaggs, among others (Producer/Engineer).

Jim Lauderdale, himself a two-time Americana Honors & Awards recipient, hosted the awards show that also featured a band led by Buddy Miller, last year’s big winner — with awards for artist, album and song of the year. To cap off the awards show, Robert Plant, the former Led Zeppelin vocalist — who rocked the Americana music world in 2008 when he and contemporary bluegrass star Alison Krauss teamed up on the multi-award-winning album Raising Sand — treated the audience to a performance with his current touring Band of Joy (featuring Miller, Patty Griffin and Darrel Scott).

The Honors and Awards ceremony was a highlight of the 11th Annual Americana Festival and Conference, a four-day-and-night event that continues through Saturday, Sept. 11. It features plenty of learning and networking opportunities, as well as more than 100 music showcases by new and veteran artists at various venues throughout Nashville.

“Very quietly, Americana has become the fastest rising music community today,” maintains Jed Hilly, the Americana Music Association’s executive director. Established in 1999, the professional trade association (www.americanamusic.org) is dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in the industry.

The Central Ohio Folk Festival, now in its 13th year, returns to Columbus’ Batelle-Darby Creek Metro Park, May 1-3. Sponsored by the Columbus Folk Music Society, Inc. and Metro Parks, the festival will feature an array of concerts, workshops, jam sessions and more

The festivities begin on Friday night with a pot-luck supper, Worst Song in the World Contest and jam sessions all evening. Following workshops, spotlight concerts, a Young Musicians’ Showcase and jams during the day on Saturday, the evening will feature performances by Butch Ross, Kitty Donohoe and Matt Watroba. Ross is a singer-

Three-day festival registration is available for $30 until April 27 and $35 after that, with discounts available for seniors 62 and over and juniors 13-20. Children 12 and under will be admitted free if accompanied by a registered adult. Workshops only and concert only tickets also are available. Visit www.cfms-inc.org for more information and to register.

Named in honor of the late folk troubadour from St. Augustine, the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival takes place May 1-3 at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, near Elkton, in St. Augustine, Florida.

Weekend passes are available for $60 in advance and $75 at the gate, with an additional fee for camping if desired. Daily tickets also will be available. For more information and to order tickets, visit www.gamblerogersfest.com.

The Tucson Folk Festival, a free two-day event that draws more than 10,000 people annually, according to its organizers, is set for Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3, in and around El Presidio Park in downtown Tucson, Arizona.

More than 100 local, regional and nationally touring acts, representing a diverse array are slated to perform on four stages during the festival that runs from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Presented by the Tucson Kitchen Musicians’ Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting folk music in southern Arizona, the festival will feature music from the folk, blues, Celtic, bluegrass, folk-rock, world, gospel and Cajun traditions. Workshops and a Saturday afternoon showcase featuring performances by ten songwriting contest finalists also are scheduled.

For more information, visit www.tkma.org.