"The Mother of Folk" Jean Ritchie Dies

In 1982, Dave Sear, the host of WNYC's Folk Music Almanac invited folk singer Jean Ritchie to play at Spenctertown Academy. The concert featured Ritchie singing both a cappella and with her signature instrument, the Appalachian dulcimer. Listen to the above clip of Ritchie performing "Shoemaker's Song" from her 1971 album Clear Waters Remembered. 

Ritchie appeared numerous times on WNYC throughout the years, and was a well-known musician in the New York folk scene. She shared stages with Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, and others. Ritchie received the Rolling Stone Critics Circle Award in 1977 and was a recipient of an NEA Heritage Fellowship in 2002. 

Many thanks to Dave Sear for providing the audio. Listen to the full concert below.