Folk Music
Folk
music is basically traditional music that has been passed down from generation
to generation. However, folk music can
also be any type of music that’s based on traditional music. Because this music
is passed through word of mouth, there are many different versions of the same
folk songs. Some famous examples of folk
music songs are Home on the Range, I’ve been working on the Railroad,
On Top of Old Smokey, and She’ll be Coming Around the Mountain, and Skip
to my Lou.
Folk
music has been around for a long time, but the American folk music revival
began in the early 1950s. Singers Woody
Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, and Bob Dylan began
writing and singing 
new folk music. During the revival people began listening to
their music and so folk music started growing in 
popularity. Some people say that Pete Seeger started the
folk music revival.
Most people agree that
Woody Guthrie had a huge influence on folk music. He set the precedent for all the folk singers
after him, such as what topics folk songs could be about and the melodies in
songs. He also inspired many other folk
singers. Bob Dylan idolized him. He even said that Woody was his hero.
Woody
Guthrie Bob
Dylan
This website was created by Andrew Hwang on
November 12, 2007.