One of my biggest influences, though it might not show, and one of my favorite writers and performers was John Hartford. He was best known as the writer of "Gentle On My Mind" and as Glen Campbell's TV sidekick, and later he was prominent on the soundtrack of "O Brother Where Art Thou" and the subsequent music tours from that...but he was an amazing man. Bluegrass musician extraordinaire, riverboat pilot, humorist...he put on the best one-man-show I ever saw back in the late 70's at the Guthrie, dancing on a miked piece of particle board and playing fiddle, guitar and tenor banjo. I got to say hello to him, and he was as warm and genuine as they come. He also wrote hilarious songs like "Boogie" and "Granny Wontcha Smoke Some Marijuana". If you haven't discovered him, you should. I just happened upon this little film of him piloting a riverboat and talking about music...just as funny and profound as I remember him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aICsD4C-pC8&feature=related

Hats off to Captain Hartford.

Fascinating video, thanks for sharing!

Kevin

Mark, I didn't realize John was a steamboat captain on the Big Muddy. Shades of Mark Twain. What a great musician he was...and old man River, he just keeps rollin' along...

He was only beginning to reach his ever growing stride when fate took him from our music world. His songs made so many artists famous and wealthy. Miss him? You bet! Thanks for sharing.

I used to listen to John Hartford quite a bit in the early 80's when I was learning bluegrass and old time music. Most notably his collaborations with The Dillard's who were also from Missouri (Salem). He once said that the royalties from "Gentle On My Mind" bought his freedom.

There is a bend in the Cumberland river called "Hartford's Bend" named after him.

As a proponent of keeping traditional music alive, I was happy to see the likes of Hartford, Norman Blake, and The Stanley Brothers get national and worldwide attention from the "O Brother" soundtrack. A lot of money was made from the movie and soundtrack. Big Hollywood stars, funny story line, and grass roots music. The combination worked. I only wish that someone would try it again.

My wife and I saw him locally years ago too. He may have had the same piece of particle board on that tour as in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis could have been his next stop.

My wife wasn't as impressed as I was but I liked the show a lot.

One of my favorite Hartford tunes is Steam Powered Aereo Plane.
I think he was the first person I saw who used a foot board for percussion. (I always thought it was plywood)

Thanks for the link Mark,

I always felt he was under-appreciated. Saw him "live" a few times. Miss him still...Not only was he a riverboat captain, he also used some of the proceeds from Gentle on my Mind to buy his own riverboat. He'd pilot it up and down the Mississipi, doing his own driving(?) and giving performances. I always thought it was a brilliant way of spending his royalties.

Midnite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WkYo3QG7aE&feature=related


Yup, I miss him... I miss the Residents too.