5 Folk Music American Artists You Need to Know

In this blog post, we will be discussing 5 folk music American artists that you need to know. These artists are William Elliott Whitmore, John Prine, Iris DeMent, Ani DiFranco, and Bob Dylan.

folk music

Folk music is a genre of American music that is rooted in the musical traditions of the American people. Folk music is often passed down from generation to generation, and it has been a staple of American culture for centuries.

There are many different types of folk music, but some of the most popular include bluegrass, country, and Appalachian folk. Folk music often has a strong sense of community and tradition, and it is often used to express the values and beliefs of the American people.

Some of the most famous folk music artists include Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Johnny Cash. These artists have helped to shape the sound of American folk music, and they continue to be some of the most popular folk musicians today.

American artists

There are many American artists who have made a name for themselves in the folk music genre. Some of these artists are relative newcomers while others have been around for decades. In this article, we will take a look at five American folk music artists you need to know.

Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie was an American folk singer and songwriter who is considered one of the most significant figures in folk music. His songs often focused on the lives of working-class Americans and were critical of government policies that he felt were unfair to the poor. He is perhaps best known for his song “This Land Is Your Land,” which has become an anthem for the American people.

Lead Belly

Folk music is often thought of as the music of the people—a genre that’s passed down through oral tradition. It’s a musical form that’s defined by its origins, but it’s also a genre that’s constantly evolving. Over the years, American folk music has been shaped and reshaped by the many cultures that have made this country their home.

In honor of Folk Music Month, we’re taking a look at five American folk artists who have helped to shape the genre and continue to influence musicians today.

Lead Belly: Born in 1888 in Mooringsport, Louisiana, Lead Belly was a blues and folk musician who spent time in prison for crimes including assault and murder. While serving time, he began to play music and cultivated a large repertoire of songs including blues, gospel, and children’s songs. He was eventually pardoned by the governor of Louisiana and went on to achieve commercial success with his recordings, which were released on the Columbia Records label. His influence can be heard in the work of later musicians like Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead.

Woody Guthrie: One of the most influential American folk musicians, Woody Guthrie was born in 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma. He grew up during the Dust Bowl era and became involved in the labor movement through his work as a journalist. He wrote hundreds of songs about topics ranging from labor rights to love to disappointment and hope. His most famous song is “This Land Is Your Land,” which has been recorded by numerous artists over the years.

Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers. His best-known compositions include “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season),” which have been recorded by many artists both in and outside the folk revival movement. Seeger’s influence is particularly evident in the music of Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Bruce Springsteen, and Joe Strummer.

Joan Baez

Joan Baez is an American singer, songwriter, musician and activist whose contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest or social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing over 30 albums. Fluent in Spanish and English, she has recorded songs in at least six other languages. Although regarded as a folk singer, her music has diversified since the counterculture years of the 1960s, incorporating pop, rock, jazz and gospel elements and touches on foreign languages such as Japanese, Hebrew and Esperanto. In recent years, she has found success interpreting songs of modern songwriters such as Ryan Adams, Josh Ritter and Steve Earle.

Baez was born on Staten Island of New York City to a pair of Salvation Army officers with wayward pasts; her father was from Mexico and her mother from Scotland & England via Boston. As a teenager living in Palo Alto, California Joan became interested in both traditional folk music and contemporary dissidents such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. When she was 17 she heard Bob Dylan for the first time (performing “Blowin’ in the Wind”) and felt an immediate connection with his rhythmic style of composition which would eventually form the basis of her songwriting.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist and writer. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when he became an informal chronicler and a reluctant figurehead of the American anti-war and civil rights movements. A number of his songs, such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin'”, became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements. As a musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records and has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.