♪♪ CLEAR.

♪ I WAS BORN IN THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAIN MISTY MORNING ♪ ♪ AND I HAVE LEARNED THE LOAN LONESOME ♪ ♪ MY PARENTS GAVE ME COUNTRY MANNERS AND THE MOUNTAINS FOR MY FRIEND ♪♪ >> I WAS BACKSTAGE AT SOME BIG AUDITORIUM LIKE CARNEGIE HALL AND ALLEN LOMAX CAME UP AND INTRODUCED HER TO ME.

>> I WAS BORN NUMBER 14 IN A FAMILY OF 14.

>> BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GIRL WITH A BEAUTIFUL VOICE.

WOW.

>> >> THE FAMILY WAS NATURALLY SINGERS, AND WE WOULD GO OUT ON THE FRONT PORCH IN THE HOUSEHOLD AT NIGHT AND START SINGING.

>> SINGING BECAME JUST LIKE BREATHING OR WALKING OR TALKING OR SOMETHING ELSE.

IT WAS JUST SOMETHING YOU DID.

>> SHE TAKES YOU ON A CULTURAL TRIP.

SHE DOESN'T JUST SING THE SONGS, YOU KNOW.

>> BEFORE THE TIME OF MY DAD AND JEAN RITCHIE THERE WAS NOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SONGS ABOUT REAL EVENTS AND REAL PEOPLE AND REAL STRUGGLE AND REAL HARDSHIP.

>> THE MOUNTAIN-BORN FOLK SINGER, IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT THAT WAY.

SHE KNEW WHAT IT WAS ABOUT AND KNOWS WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

>> IT'S WONDERFUL TO COME BACK HERE AND REMEMBER WHERE IT ALL STARTED AND PAY HONOR TO THE ANCESTORS AND RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES.

IN MY MIND AND IN MY HEART I'VE NEVER LEFT HOME.

♪ I'M MOUNTAIN BORN ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> IF MOUNTAINS ARE PART OF THE APPALACHIAN CHAIN CALLED THE CUMBERLANDS AND IN THIS SECTION THEY RISE INIENTLY ARCHING RIDGES WITH ONE FALLING ANOTHER AND ONE BEYOND ANOTHER AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

TO STAND ON TOP OF ONE OF THE NARROW RIDGES IS LIKE BALANCING ON ONE OF THE INNERMOST PET ALWAYS OF A GIGANTIC ROSE FROM WHICH YOU CAN SEE ALL AROUND YOU THE OTHER PETALS FALLING AWAY IN WIDE RANGE TO THE HORIZON.

EYE A TINY VILLAGE, IT DIPS INWARDLY TO FOLLOW THE CURVE OF THE RIV EVER RIVER.

♪♪ >> JEAN RICHY AND FIVE OF HIS BROTHERS CAME OVER IN 1768.

THEY SHIPPED ON A BOAT CALLED THE MARY GOLD, WE KNOW THAT MUCH, AND LANDED IN VIRGINIA.

NOW, ALL THE GOOD LAND IN VIRGINIA WAS, OF COURSE, ALREADY TAKEN SO THEY KEPT GOING WESTWARD OVER THE MOUNTAINS.

AND WHEN THEY GOT AS FAR AS FOREST FORK AT LEAST MY ANCESTOR JAMES DID, AND THEY SETTLED THERE BECAUSE, WELL, THE LAND WAS AVAILABLE, AND THE OLD ANCESTOR JAMES DIED AND THE FAMILY DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE HIS GRAVE SO THEY SETTLE THERE.

THE LAND WAS MOUNTAINOUS BUT I THINK THEY PROBABLY LIKED THAT BETTER BECAUSE IT REMINDED THEM OF THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND WHERE THEY HAD COME FROM.

>> MOM WAS ABIGAIL HALL.

AND THERE WAS MAE ALLEN AND EDNA, CARLA, EDMONDAY AND JEAN.

>> MY VERY FIRST MEM RIFT HOUSE FILLED WITH LAUGHING AND NOISE AND SINGING AND CRYING, RUNNING OVER WITH PEOPLE.

MOM WOULD SOMETIMES SAY OUT LOUD IN A SORT OF WONDER.

WOULD BE LORDY, IT'S A MYSTERY TO ME THAT THE HOUSE DON'T FLY ALL TO PIECES."

I DON'T RIGHTLY KNOW WHERE THEY ALL GET TO.

>> NEVER A DULL MOMENT.

SINGING AND PLAYING.

THEY HAD A BIG FAMILY.

WHEN SHE CAME ALONG, SHE WAS SO CUTE THAT -- >> THE HARD PART WAS HAVING SO MANY BOSSES BECAUSE MOST OF THE FAMILY, MOST YOU HEARD THOSE NAMES, MOST OF THE FAMILY WERE GIRLS AND THEY LOVED TO BOSS AROUND THE LITTLE SISTER AND GET HER IN TROUBLE, AND THE OTHER TIMES THEY WERE VERY SWEET TO ME AND VERY NICE TO ME.

IN THE EVENINGS WHEN WE SANG ON THE FRONT PORCH, I WOULD GET TO SIT IN SOMEONE'S LAP AND THEY'D LET ME SIT IN THE SWING IN BETWEEN TWO NICE WARM BODIES.

SOME OF MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE GOING UP AND DOWN THAT HOLL ERR AND WAY UP AHEAD WAS OUR CORN FIELDS AND WE HAD TO WALK UP THERE EVERY DAY AND WALK BACK.

A MILE EACH WAY.

>> WE HAD A REAL ROUGH TIME WHEN WE GREW UP BECAUSE MY DAD WASSA FARMER AND THE ONLY WAY WE HAD TO MAKE A LIVING WAS TO GO AND WORK ON THE HILLSIDES AND PUT IN A CROP AND RAISE PIGS.

>> DAD WENT ON TO FINISH EIGHTH GRADE AND WENT, TOOK HIS TRUNK ON HIS BACK AND WENT TO LEBANON, OHIO AND WENT TO NORMAL SCHOOL AND GOT HIS TEACHING CERTIFICATE AND CAME BACK AND TAUGHT SCHOOL AROUND HERE FOR MANY YEARS.

AND WANTED HIS CHILDREN TO BE EDUCATED, AND PEOPLE WOULD SAY, "EVEN THE GIRLS?"

HE WOULD SAY, "WELL, YES."

HE HAD MOSTLY GIRLS, SO -- >> BY THE TIME I CAME ALONG, SHE WAS VERY RELAXED ABOUT CHILDREN.

SHE DIDN'T DEMAND MUCH OF ME AT ALL.

BUT I COULD EITHER GO TO THE CORN FIELD WITH DAD AND CARRY WATER WHEN I WAS LITTLE OR I COULD STAY HOME AND HELP MOM WITH THE GARDEN, I REMEMBER THAT.

I REB A LOT OF GOOD TIMES WITH -- REMEMBER A LOT OF GOOD TIMES WITH MY MOTHER SITTING ON HER LAP AND LEARNING HOW TO CHURN.

AND SHE NEVER PUNISHED US VERY MUCH.

SHE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, "I'M GOING TO TELL DAD," AND WE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO US IF SHE TOLD DAD.

BY THE TIME I CAME ALONG, HE HAD GOT SO USED TO CHILDREN AND HIS FAMILY THAT HE STARTED TUNING THEM OUT, AND I THOUGHT HE WAS QUITE A STERN MAN.

AND BECAUSE HE WAS SO QUIET AND SORT OF INNER, YOU KNOW, HE NEVER REALLY PLAYED WITH US TOO MUCH.

BUT WHEN WE GOT UP TO A CERTAIN AGE, MAYBE TEENAGER, WE GOT TO BE PEOPLE IN HIS SIGHT, AND THEN WE HAD CONVERSATIONS.

SO WE STARTED TALKING, AND HE COME IN ONE DAY AND HE STARTED SINGING TO ME ONCE IN A WHILE.

COME IN ONE DAY AND HE KNEW I WAS INTERESTED IN HEARING THE OLD SONGS, AND SO HE SAID, "EVER HEAR THIS ONE?"

AND HE STARTED HUMMING.

DEED EL DEE, DEEDEL DOO.

SHADY GROVE.

WE WERE TRYING TO GET TOGETHER, YOU KNOW.

AND I SAID, "NO I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT SHADY GROVE."

THEN HE STOOD THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND HE HUMMED AND THOUGHT AND THOUGHT AND HE FINALLY GOT THE SONG OUT.

♪ YOU'RE THE DARLING OF MY HEART ♪♪ >> BOB HAD A FIRST COUSIN CALLED JASON RITCHIE AND HE WAS KNOWN TO EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY AS UNCLE JASON.

WHEN I MET HIM, HE WAS IN HIS 80s AND HIS VOICE WAS ALMOST GONE, AND HE WOULD SING A SONG FOR ME, "FAIR AND TENDER LADY," AND HE WOULD SING ONE VERSE THE SECOND VERSE WOULD HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TUNE AND THEN THE THIRD VERSE WOULD EVEN BE DIFFERENT.

THEN HE'D WANDER BACK TO THE FIRST TUNE.

AND I ASKED HIM ABOUT THAT.

AND HE SAID, "WELL, I DON'T KNOW."

HE SAID, "I'M GETTING TO BE AN OLD MAN AND I DON'T HANG ONTO THE TUNES LIKE I USED TO, BUT HE SAID, IT DON'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.

HE SAID IF YOU HAVE A SET OF WORDS AND YOU WANT TO SING IT, JUST GET YOU A TUNE AND PUT YOU A TUNE TO IT."

SOY I WOULD IN SINGING -- SO I WOULD, IN SINGING "FAIR AND TENDER LADIES," I SORT OF PUT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT LITTLE TUNES THAT HE HAD TOGETHER AND ALL THE PRETTIEST THINGS THAT HE WAS SINGING I PUT IN AND MADE MY OWN SORT OF INTERPRETATION OF HIS TUNE.

♪♪ >> WE WOULD GO ON THE ON THE FRONT PORCH AND AT NIGHT AND THEY WOULD START SINGING, AND THE NEIGHBORS COULD HEAR THE VOICES DOWN THE HOLLER AND THEY WOULD ALWAYS TELL THEM HOW PRETTY IT SOUNDED, SO THE NEXT NIGHT THEY WOULD GO OUT AND DO IT OVER AGAIN.

>> WE SANG SORT OF TO ACCOMPANY THE THINGS WE DID, ACCOMPANY OUR LIVES, I GUESS.

THERE WERE NO INSTRUMENTS.

THERE WERE VERY FEW INSTRUMENTS IN THOSE EARLY DAYS, SO THE VOICE HAD TO GILL IN THE GAPS AND BE -- FILL IN THE GAPS AND ACCOMPANY THE SINGING.

AND ALMOST EVERYBODY COULD SING.

THERE WAS NO TEACHERS OF SINGING.

PEOPLE JUST STANG AS A NATURAL THING.

WHERE THEY HEARD IT FROM THEIR MOTHERS AND FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERS AND GRANDMOTHERS.

IF YOU JOINED THE OLD REGULARS, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PUT AWAY ALL THE OTHER MUSIC EXCEPT THEIR OLD HYMNS.

THEIR MUSIC WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND VERY MOWEDAAL AND DR.

EMOTIONAL AND A WONDERFUL WAY OF SINGING THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY OF SINGING, ANCIENT ALMOST.

>> BUT THEY DID HAVE THIS PARTICULAR WAY OF SINGING WHICH WAS A MONOTHONIC, THAT IS NO HARMONY, THAT WAS LINED OUT WITHOUT MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT USING WHAT SOME WOULD CALL THE SACRED HARP, WHICH IS THE HUMAN VOICE.

>> THE FAMILY PICKED OUT A TUNE TO FIT THE MIRROR, AND HE WOULD START SINGING IT, HE'D SING THE FIRST LINE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT TUNE HE WAS USING, AND THEN HE WOULD LINE OUT THE NEXT LINE.

HE WOULD GO.

[ SINGING ] ♪ THOU GREAT JEHOVAHA ♪ ♪ PILGRIMS THROUGH THIS BARREN LAND ♪♪ AND EVERYBODY SING.

♪ PILGRIMS THROUGH THIS BARREN LAND ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ THOU ART MIGHTY ♪ ♪ HOLD ME WITH THY POWER ♪ -- ♪♪ >> SOMEBODY ASKED HER, DO YOU LIVE UP NORTH NOW?

IT CAME UP.

SHE SAID, I LIVE IN A NICE LITTLE TOWN CALLED FORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK.

SHE WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE THAT IT WAS -- WHY SHE WAS VERY MUCH LIKE APPALACHIAN.

IT WASN'T YEARS LATER THAT I GOT TO HER HOUSE THAT I REALIZED SHE WAS RIGHT BECAUSE SHE LIVE ON THE TOP OF A HILL.

♪♪ >> I'VE LIVED HERE IN FORT WASHINGTON WITH GEORGE PIKKO MY HUSBAND SINCE 1955.

HE BUILT A LOG HOUSE FOR ME, AND WE GO THERE SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR, BUT FOR THE MOST PART THIS LITTLE PIECE OF LONG ISLAND HAS BEEN HOME.

IT'S HERE THAT WE RAISED OUR TWO SONS.

PETER WAS BORN IN 1954 AND JOHNNY CAME ALONG THREE YEARS LATER.

THEY'RE BOTH IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS NOWADAYS.

PETER IS IN MUSIC PUBLISHING, AND JOHN RUNS THE GREEN WAYS RECORDING STUDIO.

I WENT TO NEW YORK AFTER COLLEGE TO GET SOME EXPERIENCE IN SOCIAL WORK, AND MY PLAN WAS TO GO THERE AND WORK FOR -- UNTIL I LEARNED ENOUGH TO COME BACK TO WORK IN THE HAZARD AREA, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE, NO PROGRAMS AROUND HERE THEN EXCEPT WELFARE, SO I DECIDED TO GO OFF AND GET -- LEARN SOMETHING AND COME BACK AND START SOMETHING AROUND HERE.

THAT WAS MY PLAN.

♪♪ >> THERE'S WHERE I FIRST BEGAN MY NEW YORK ODYSSEY, I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT IS.

I GRADUATED FROM U.K.

IN 1946.

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.

WE HAD ALL DIFFERENT NATIONAL AT ALL AROUND US HERE.

IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT FOR ME COMING FROM SCOTCH-IRISH-ENGLISH BACKGROUND THAT I'M FROM.

THEY WERE MOSTLY JEWISH AND ITALIAN AT THAT TIME, AND THEN BEFORE I LEFT PUERTO RICANS STARTED COMING IN.

AND THEY WANTED TO THROW CHAIRS AT EACH OTHER, THAT'S WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO, BUT IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM FROM DOING THAT, WHY, WE HAD TO PLACATE THEM SO I STARTED OUT BY PLAYING SOME GAMES WITH THEM THAT I KNEW AND THEY HAPPENED TO BE KENTUCKY GAMES.

AND THEN THEY WOULD SAY, WELL, DO YOU KNOW THIS ONE?

AND THEY WOULD TEACH ME A JEWISH GAME OR AN OLD COUNTRY GAME OF THEIRS OR THE SPANISH CHILDREN WHEN THEY CAME IN HAD THEIR OWN SONGS.

YEARS LATER, IN FACT, FAIRLY RECENTLY I WROTE A SONG CALLED "NONE BUT BUT ONE" WHICH TALKS ABOUT PEOPLE BEING ONE PEOPLE.

I SUPPOSE THAT IT COMES OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE TO A GOOD DEGREE.

♪ AND ONE WAS BLACK ♪ ♪ AND ONE WAS WHITE ♪ ♪ AND ALL OF THEM WERE BROTHERS ♪ ♪AL AROUND US NOW ♪ ♪ ROUND EVERYWHERE ♪ >> I WAS WONG AT THE HENRY STREET SETTLEMENT AND DOING SOCIAL WORK AND I BEGAN THINGS, HOW TO ORGANIZE THINGS AND START PROGRAMS AND SO ON.

AND THEN I MET GEORGE PICO, A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO CAME DOWN TO VISIT AT THE SETTLEMENT, AND HAD THE FORESIGHT OF INTELLIGENCE TO ASK ME TO GO SQUARE DANCING.

>> I WAS DOING, ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER FRIEND WAS TEACHING A COURSE DOWN AT THE HENRY STREET SETTLEMENT, AND SHE SAID, COME ON ALONG.

YOU LIKE FOLK MUSIC.

THERE'S A GIRL THERE WHO REALLY CAN SING.

I THOUGHT, OH, GOD.

I WAS USED TO LED BELLY AND THAT SORT OF THING, AND SOMEBODY IS SINGING ANDING.

I HAD NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE.

I MEAN, SHE WAS PRETTY.

I SAID, THE HECK WITH IT.

I DON'T LIKE THE WAY SHE SINGS, BUT SHE'S GORGEOUS.

I'M GOING TO GO WITH THAT.

>> I WAS THINKING OF GETTING MARRIED WHEN I GOT ENGAGED AND GEORGE WENT DOWN TO MEET THE FAMILY.

AND I HAD BEEN IN NEW YORK JUST LONG ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS PREJUDICE AGAINST JEWS, SO I SAID, "MOM, I AM MARRYING A JEWISH MAN."

AND HER FACE LIT UP LIKE SUNSHINE, AND SHE SAID, "THAT'S WONDERFUL."

SHE SAID, "THAT'S GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE."

SHE SAID, "YOU'VE DONE VERY WELL."

>> WE GOT ALONG GREAT.

SHE WAS LIKE AN OLD YIDDISH FILL I BUSTER.

SHE WAS A RELL HOMEY PERSON AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN, YOU KNOW.

♪♪ CLEAR.

♪ SHE BRINGS US GOOD TIDINGS ♪ ♪ AND SHE TELLS US NO LIES ♪ ♪♪ >> MY PERFORMANCE STARTED WHILE SINGING FOR FRIENDS AROUND IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND SOMEBODY SAID, "IF YOU COME TO MY SCHOOL, WE'LL PAY YOU $25."

AND THAT WAS -- THAT WAS VERY EXCITING TO ME BECAUSE I I STARTED GETTING, AS MY FATHER SAID, SINGING FOR PEOPLE.

INSTEAD OF SINGING FOR JUST, SING FOR OTHERS.

>> THERE WAS SOMEBODY SO SPECIAL.

THAT NIGHT A MAN CAME WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN HENRY PUCK AND HE WAS A HUMORIST.

HE TOLD FUNNY STORIES IN SORT OF A TEXAS AC SENT AND HE WAS A WRITER.

HE HEARD HER SING AND HE SAID, "YOU KNOW WHO YOU OUGHT TO MEET UP.

OUGHT TO MEET ALAN LOAM ACTIONS."

I SAID, "I'VE HEARD OF HIM ALL MY LIFE.

I'D LIKE TO MEET HIM."

SO I WENT UP THERE, AND HE HAD AN OFFICE, A LITTLE CROWDED OFFICE IN DECA, AND HE STAYED AFTER WORK SO I COULD COME IN AND SEE HIM.

AND AS SOON AS I SANG A SONG OR TWO, HE SAID, "I WANT TO RECORD EVERYTHING THAT YOU KNOW."

MR.

LOMAX, I SAID, IT WILL TAKE ME A LONG TIME BECAUSE THE FAMILY HAS ABOUT 300 SONGS AT LEAST.

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO COUNT THEM UP, YOU KNOW.

HE SAID, "I DON'T CARE.

I WANT TO HAVE A LOT OF SESSIONS AND RECORD EVERYTHING."

SO WE DID.

WE STARTED HAVING RECORDING SESSIONS, AND RECORDING ALL THE BAL ADDS AND THINGS THAT I KNEW, AND HE DID SEND THOSE TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ARCHIVES.

♪♪ >> NOW I NEVER HAD THOUGHT OF MYSELF AS BEING A SINGER OR AS BEING AN AUTHENTIC SINGER.

I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN PEOPLE STARTED SAYING, WELL, YOU'RE A TRADITIONAL SINGER.

AND IT WAS TRUE, BUT I HAD NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE I CAME TO NEW YORK.

PEOPLE STARTED ASKING ME TO SING FOR THEIR CELEBRATIONS, AND I DID THAT SEVERAL TIMES.

THEN THEY THOUGHT, WHY NOT SPONSOR A CONCERT?

SO THEY SPONSORED MY FIRST CONCERT IN NEW YORK AT THE GREENWICH MEWS THEATRE IN GREENWICH VILLAGE AND IT WAS A LITTLE CHURCH BANQUET, A PRETTY LITTLE CHURCH, AND IT SEATED ABOUT 200 PEOPLE, I GUESS.

AND I'M SCARED TO DEATH.

BUT ALAN CAME AND HE SENT WE A BIG BUNCH OF FLOWERS AND THAT MADE ME FEEL VERY, VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE I HAD NEVER HAD FLOWERS BEFORE.

I THINK IT WAS THE NEXT YEAR THAT ALAN RAN A CONCERT, A FOLK MUSIC AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

AT THAT TIME IT WAS CALLED THE McMILLAN THEATRE ON THE COLUMBIA CAMPUS.

AND HE ASKED ME TO COME AND SING ON THAT CONCERT, AND THAT WAS A MUCH MORE BIG-TIME THING THAN THE LITTLE GREENWICH MEWS THEATRE.

JUST BEFORE THE CONCERT STARTED WE WERE ALL BACK THERE BEING NERVOUS.

THE DOOR OPENS AND WE WERE ALL STANDING BACK THERE SORT OF HUDDLED UP WAITING TO BEGIN, AND THIS LITTLE, SMALL LITTLE, WIRY LITTLE MAN WITH HAIR STANDING WAY UP ON HIS HEAD WITH CURLS ON TOP JUMPED INTO THE ROOM AND HE STARTED LEAPING AROUND TO ALL THE MICROPHONES AND BLARING INTO THEM -- BLOWING INTO THEM.

AND WE HAVE I SAID, "WHO IS THAT CRAZY MAN?"

AND ALAN LAUGHED AND HE SAID, "THAT'S WOODY GUTHRIE."

THEN HE BROUGHT HIM AROUND AND INTRODUCED HIM TO ALL OF US.

HE HAD JUST COME TO AGGRAVATE US ON THAT STAGE, HE SAID.

THEN AFTER I MET JOHNNY AND EMILY LOMAX, I STARTED BEING ON SOME TV SHOWS.

I WENT ON CAMERA THREE, THE TODAY SHOW WITH BEN GAIRAWAY.

♪♪ ♪ HEY, HEY, SKIP TO MY HOW ♪ ♪ HEY, HEY, SKIP TO MY LOU ♪♪ >> I WAS ON SOME EARLY TELEVISION PROGRAMS WITH MY FRIEND PETE SEEGER, I GUESS IT WAS IN THE LATE '40S.

IT SEEMED AT THE TIME THAT HE WAS GOING TO HELP BRING FOLK MUSIC TO THIS WHOLE NEW ELECTRICAL AUDIENCE, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS LEFT WING POLITICAL VIEWS, PETE WAS SOON TO BE BLACKLISTED THE.

HE WOULDN'T APPEAR ON TELEVISION AGAIN FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS.

♪ I WAS BORN AND RAISED ♪ ♪ IN EAST VIRGINIA ♪ ♪ NORTH CAROLINA I DID GO ♪♪ ♪♪ >> HE ASKED THEN AT THE EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE, WHICH WAS JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM HENRY STREET SETTLEMENT, THEY WERE BOTH SETTLEMENT HOUSES, AND HE WAS THERE AND HE HADN'T BEEN IN NEW YORK VERY LONG BUT HE HAD A RADIO PROGRAM ON WMSE ALREADY AND HE CALLED HIMSELF THE TROUBADOUR.

>> I GOT HER ADDRESS AND NUMBER FROM ALAN LOMAX AND I CALLED HER AND SAID, "YOU BE ON OUR RADIO SHOW?"

AND SHE CAME AND SHE SANG ON THE RADIO SHOW, AND THAT'S THE SHOW THAT'S BEEN ON SINCE 1945 BUT I HAD NEVER HAD ANYBODY ON IT LIKE JEAN ON IT.

>> AND HE SAID, COME BACK NEXT SUNDAY, AND YET ANOTHER COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO WERE KIND OF REGULARS ON THE SHOW.

SO AFTER TWO OR THREE WEEKS HE SAID, "WHY DON'T YOU JUST BE A REGULAR ON THE SHOW?"

SO I WOULD GO IN THERE ERR SUNDAY.

>> SHE IS, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THE GREATEST TRADITIONAL SINGER IN AMERICA TODAY AND MAYBE FOR ALL TIME.

IF YOU WANT TO HEAR AMERICA SINGING, YOU LISTEN TO JEAN RITCHIE.

>> IT WAS A GREAT BOON THEN.

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED THERE WAS FOLK MUSIC OF PEOPLE SINGING AND PEOPLE PLAYING INSTRUMENTS AND SO ON.

>> WOODY GUTHRIE CAME TO NEW YORK IN FEBRUARY 1940.

AND WHEN WOODY CAME UP, WHY, THIS WAS A REVELATION TO US.

YOU COULD MAKE SONGS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

SURE, WE CAN SING OLD COWBOY SONGS, SURE WE CAN SING THE OLD RAILROAD SONGS, SURE, WE CAN SING THE OLD LUMBERJACK SONGS AND MINIER SONGS, BUTTED YOU ALSO COULD MAKE UP SONGS ABOUT WAR AND PEACE AND LATER ON ATOM BOMBS AND LORD KNOWS WHAT.

CARRY ON THE OLD TRADITION OF MAKING MUSIC REFLECT THE TIMES.

>> I THINK THAT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN JEAN AND MY DAD AND PETE SEEGER AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE PROBABLY HAS TO DO MORE WITH COAL MINING THAN WITH SINGING.

IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FORMATIONS OF THE UNIONS AND THE TRADITION AND THE STRUGGLE IT TOOK OF COMMON PEOPLE TO MAKE A DECENT WAGE.

THERE IS A COMMON BOND BETWEEN PEOPLE AND CITIES AND IN THE COUNTRY AND WHETHER THEY CAME FROM THE WEST OR THE EAST COAST OR SOUTH OR WHEREVER WHO WERE STRUGGLING 70, 80 YEARS AGO AND LONGER FOR JUST THE RIGHTS TO BE THINKING OUT LOUD AND NOT GET HIT OVER THE HEAD OR BEAT UP OR KICKED OUT OR STOMPED ON OR BURIED ALIVE.

>> IT ALWAYS IRKED ME THAT, COMING FROM KENTUCKY ESPECIALLY WHEN IT FIRST CAME UP, THAT PEOPLE WOULD USE MY SONGS, MY BAL ADDS AND MAKE POLITICAL STATEMENTS WITH THEM.

IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR ME TO GET USED TO THAT.

BUT AFTER I MET PETE AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE DOING THAT, I WAS EDUCATED TO POLITICS.

I NEVER CALLED THE RED CHANNELS.

I WAS LISTED IN ONE LITTLE PUBLICATION CALLED MARXIST MINSTRELS.

THEY HAD IT IS THAT I HAD BEEN A PROGRAM WITH PETE SEEGER.

IT SAID SUCH SILLY THINGS I DON'T SEE HOW PEOPLE COULD BELIEVE IT.

IT SAID HOW PORNOGRAPHIC THAT WAS.

HE SAID WAS A PORNOGRAPHICKING TO.

>> IT'S VERY IRONIC THAT THIS HIGHLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRY SHOULD HAVE HAD WHAT WE CALL THE GREAT FOLK SCARE.

I DON'T PARTICULARLY LOOK FORWARD TO ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING AGAIN.

IT HAD A LOT OF BAT BAD THINGS GOING ON.

ANYBODY CAN GET A GUITAR IF THEY WANT TO DO FOLK SINGING.

SINGING AND THE TELEVISION, GIVE ME SOMETHING HAPPY.

STAY AWAY FROM THOSE SAD SONGS.

BUT YOU KNOW SAD SONGS ARE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SONGS PEOPLE SING.

THEY HAD A SHOW CALLED "WHO THE NANNY."

-- HOOT.

>> MY RESPONSE TO HENRY AND JEAN WAS THE SAME AS MY RESPONSE TO DOC WATSON, AND THAT IS HERE'S THE REAL DEAL.

JEAN AND DOC, YOU KNOW, BREATHED IT IN FROM THEIR FIRST BREATH.

THEY GREW UP IN HARM'S WAY.

THIS WAS MUSIC, NOT FOLK MUSIC.

IT WAS MUSIC.

♪ OH, THE CUCKOO, ♪ ♪ SHE'S A FINE BIRD ♪ ♪ AND SHE SINGS SNOWS AS SHE FLIES ♪ ♪ SHE'LL CAUSE YOU NO TROUBLE ♪ ♪ FOR SHE'LL TELL YOU ♪ ♪ NO LIES ♪♪ THAT WAS DID FIRST SONG I HEARD HER SING THAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME WITH JEAN AS A GOOD MOUNTAIN BORN FOLK SINGER IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT THAT WAY.

SHE KNOWS WHAT IT'S ABOUT AND KNOWS WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

>> I FIRST MET DOC WATSON THROUGH RALPH I GUESS.

RALPH ASKED ME TO COME OUT TO THE ASHGROVE COFFEEHOUSE IN LOS ANGELES.

IT WAS IN HOLLYWOOD, AS A MATTER OF FACT.

I WENT OUT TO SING THERE, AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FAR ACT, AND THE OPENERS WERE CLARENCE ASHLEY AND HIS BAND AND AMONG THE BAND WAS DOC WATSON.

AND HE WAS COMING INTO 30s FOLK CITY TO DO HIS FIRST SOLO SIT.

>> I REMEMBER ONCE SHE ASKED ME, "CAN YOU LEARN THESE THINGS ON THE BANJO AND THEN NOT FORGET THEM WHEN WE GET ON THE STAGE?"

AND I SAID, "HONEY, I'LL TRY.

I'LL SEE IF I CAN."

AND I DIDN'T FORGET TOO MANY OF THEM WHEN WE GOT ON THE STAGE.

>> IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

WE DID OUR SONGS AND WE DID AMAZING GRACE AND WE DID A LOT OF OTHER THINGS TOGETHER, TOO.

AND GEORGE CAME ON WITH OUR MAGNA QUARTER AND MADE A RECORD WHILE WE WERE SINGING THERE SO IT WAS CALLED "JEAN AND DOC AT FOLK CITY."

♪♪ ♪♪ THE 1959 NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL, THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE AND IT WAS A COMMERCIAL FOLK FESTIVAL THAT YEAR.

AND I WENT AND FRANK WARNER WAS THERE AND PETE SEEGER AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE.

>> ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE WE PUT ON THE BOARD WAS JEAN RICH RITCHIE.

JEAN WAS A PURE MOUNTAIN SINGER, MOUNTAIN FOLK SONG SINGER.

ALSO HAD A TREMENDOUSLY OPEN MIND AND AWARENESS OF THE ENTIRE FIELD OF FOLK MUSIC.

SO EVEN THOUGH AS A PERFORMER SHE WAS VERY NARROW IN APPROACH AND VERY PURE IN HER APPROACH, UNDERSTOOD ALL THE ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS.

SO AS A BOARD DIRECTOR, SHE WAS INVALUABLE.

>> WE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE REAL GRASSROOTS PEOPLE THAT WE KNEW WE COULD GET A CROWD TO HEAR.

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE KINGSTON TRIO AND PETER, PAUL AND MARY AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT AND BOB DYLAN AND JOE BASS APPEARED AND TOOK EVERYTHING BY STORM, AND THEN WE WENT THROUGH THE TIME WHEN BOB DYLAN WENT ELECTRIC AND PETE SEEGER WAS LOOKING AROUND FOR A ROCK BACKSTAGE TO THROW THROUGH THE BLASTED MACHINE.

ELECTRICMAN.

-- ELECTRIC MACHINE.

>> IT IS WEIRD IN A WAY THAT ALL OF THE TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND THE TRADITIONAL MUSICIANS FOUND THEMSELVES WORKING IN PLACES LIKE NEW YORK, AND I THINK IT HAD TO DO WITH GUYS LIKE ALAN LOMAX AND HIS FATHER JOHN AND PETE SEEGER AND MY DAD, THOSE KIND OF GUYS, WHO REALLY SAW A VALUE, WHO REALLY MADE IT THEIR MISSION, ALMOST.

IT WAS LIKE -- IT WAS ALMOST RELIGIOUS.

IT WAS NOT JUST THAT IT WAS REAL BUT IT WAS THAT EVERYBODY COULD DO IT.

THERE WAS NO HIERARCHY.

IT WASN'T A STAR SYSTEM.

IT WAS MUSIC THAT YOU MADE, THAT ANYBODY COULD MAKE, THAT DIDN'T SET ONE AGAINST ANOTHER.

>> ON THOSE STATES AND WHEN THE PEOPLE STARTED COMING IN, IT WAS LOOK A TIDE.

IT JUST -- IT JUST WASHED INTO THE PEOPLE WERE WALKING AND RUNNING AND WITH CHILDREN, WITHOUT CHILDREN, OLD PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE, EVERYBODY.

THISY WERE INTERESTED IN WHAT WE WERE COMING FOR.

>> NEWPORT WAS LIKE THE EVENT IN FOLK MUSIC, AND THERE WAS A GLAMOR ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, THE BIGGEST NAMES IN FOLK MUSIC WERE THERE.

PETER, PAUL AND MARY WERE GOING TO BE THERE THAT YEAR.

THEY WERE ALREADY BIG AS FAR AS.

JOAN BÁEZ WAS THERE.

THIS WAS FANTASTIC.

THIS WAS LIKE DYLAN'S COMING OUT YEAR.

JOAN WAS ALREADY ALREADY THE VOICE.

IT WAS A VERY EXCITING TIME.

IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS HOOPLA SAT THIS WARM, DIGNIFIED, SELF-POSSESSED JEAN RITCHIE, PLAYED ON THE DULCIMER AND SANG SOME OLD SONG THAT I HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE BUT PART OF MY GENES HAD HEARD THAT SONG.

SHE WAS SINGING THAT SONG EXACTLY THE WAY SHE WOULD HAVE SUNG IT FOR YOU IN HER LIVING ROOM OR IN KENTUCKY WHEN SHE WAS GROWING UP.

♪♪ >> I REMEMBER ON A FOGGY NIGHT BEING REALLY OUT IN THE BACK AND HEARING HER VOICE JUST FLOATING OUT OVER THE HEADS OF EVERYBODY, THROUGH THE FOG.

SHE HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY VOICE.

ARLO GUTHRIE HAD JUST FINISHED SINGING -- TELLING THE STORY OF ALICE'S RESTAURANT, GOT AN ABSOLUTE OVATION.

I WAS THE EMCEE.

POOR JEAN.

I PUSHED HER ON STAGE.

YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW HIM.

THERE SHE WAS WITH THE MIC FACING THIS CROWD THAT WANTED TO HEAR MORE OF AR LOW, AND SHE STARTED OUT UNACCOMPANIED SINGING "AMAZING GRACE."

THIS FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC MELODY.

♪ I ONCE WAS LOST ♪ ♪ BUT NOW I'M FOUND ♪ ♪ WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE ♪ >> AFTER THE AUDIENCE HEARD "AMAZING GRACE," YOU COULD HEAR A PIN DROP.

10,000 PEOPLE, WHATEVER IT WAS THERE, HAD QUIETED DOWN COMPLETELY.

AND WERE DRAWN INTO THIS AMAZING SONG.

>> OF COURSE, I'VE BEEN SINGING "AMAZING GRACE" EVER SINCE THAT NIGHT, TOO.

YOU SEE SOMEBODY LIKE THAT IN THE BAREST SIMPLICITY GO OUT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE POWER OF THOSE SONGS AND THE POWER OF THE PERFORMER AND THE YEARS AND THE WISDOM THAT YOU BRING TO THAT MOMENT OPENED MY EYES, YOU KNOW.

>> THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT CAME UP, AND DURING THE FESTIVAL I GUESS ABOUT -- IT GOT TO BE THE STRONGEST ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE '60s, AND WE HAD THE FREEDOM SINGERS AND WE HAD BERNIE SWIGGAN AND HER GROUP AND WE HAD, OF COURSE, "WE SHALL OVERCOME" WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

EVERYBODY WAS SINGING IT AND SWAYING BACK AND FORTH.

IT WAS QUITE WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE ALL SORT OF SEEMINGLY THINKING TOGETHER AND FEELING THINGS TOGETHER.

>> JEAN WAS LIKE A SWIMMER IN A QUIET POOL WHO WAS SUDDENLY CAUGHT BY TIED AL WAVE BECAUSE THE WHOLE FOLK MUSIC WORLD SUDDENLY BECAME THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD.

>> WE WERE ALL PERFECTLY SURE THAT RACIAL HARMONY AND THE SOLVING OF ALL THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS WAS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE A BIG PART OF IT.

A GUESS YOUNG PEOPLE ALWAYS FEEL THAT WAY, AND IT'S VERY GOOD THAT THEY DO.

MAYBE SOME DAY IT WILL HAPPEN.

AFTER GEORGE AND I MARRIED IN 1950, WE DECIDED TO GO BACK FURTHER AND TRACE THE ROOTS OF THE SONGS THAT WERE IN MY FAMILY, TRACE THE ROOTS IN THE SOLD COUNTRIES THEY CAME FROM, ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, IRELAND, AND SO I GOT A BULL U. FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP TO DO THAT IN 1952 AND WE JUST TRAVELED ALL AROUND.

WE BOUGHT A HILL SITRO, A LITTLE FRENCH CAR AND WENT ALL OVER THOSE THREE COUNTRIES AND MET PEOPLE AND WORD WOULD GET AROUND THAT WE WERE THERE.

MRS.

MAY CON IN IRELAND AND -- MRS.

MACON SAID, "WELL, WE WILL HAVE A BIT OF A PARTY BUT FIRST I HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO SOME MESSAGES," AND SHE WENT TO THE STORES AND TOLD EVERYBODY THAT I WAS THERE.

AND THAT NIGHT EVERYBODY CAME IN, AND THERE WAS KAILEE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RECORD THAT.

THERE WAS A KAILEE BAND WHICH CONSISTED OF TWO BANJOS, FOUR-STRING BANJOS, A SET OF UNION PIPES, APHIDEL, AND THEY PLAYED -- A IF I HADEL, AND THEY PLAYED IN THAT BAND ON EDGES.

THERE WAS A BOY PLAYING A TIN WHISTLE, A YOUNG BOY, ABOUT 17, I GUESS, AND HIS NAME WAS TOMMY AND HE WAS MRS.

MACON'S SON.

AND HE PLAYED -- HE HAD ONE BEAUTIFUL TUNE THAT HE PLAYED.

AND THEN HE KNEW ONE SONG AND THAT WAS THE OLD DRAKE.

BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW ANY OTHER SONGS.

HE HAD NEVER PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO HIS MOTHER'S MUSIC.

I HEAR THAT AFTER WE LEFT, TOMMY WENT ALL DOWN THE STREETS AND KNOCKED ON DOORS AND SAID, "SING WE YOUR LITTLE SONGS," AND HE STARTED COLLECTING THEM ON HIS OWN.

>> HE SPURRED ON THE INTEREST THAT I HAD, TREMENDOUSLY SPURRED IT ON BECAUSE I FIGURED HERE'S THIS WOMAN WHO APPARENTLY IS AN AUTHORITY ON THESE FOLK SONGS, AND SHE'S INTERESTED IN THESE LOCAL SONGS AS WE WOULD HAVE CALLED THEM, BUT SHE, OF COURSE, HAD BEEN IN AMERICA THAT WAS SO MUCH MORE ADVANCED, BUT SHE STILL HELD THE ESSENCE OF THE HILLS OF KENTUCKY IN HER -- IN ALL HER SONGS.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A WONDERFUL THING IN ITSELF.

AND AN ALMOST POWERFUL THING.

HERE WAS THE UNADULTERATED FOLK SONGS OF AMERICA AND WE RELATED IN THAT I HAD A LARGE COLLECTION OF UNADULTERATED SONGS FROM IRELAND.

>> I MET THIS MAN CALLED JACKOLAND WHO WAS ABOUT A 17 OR 18-YEAR-OLD BOY.

AND HE STARTED A RECORD COMPANY AND HE CALLED IT ELECTRA.

ELEKTRA.

IT GOT TO BE A VERY, VERY BIG COMPANY.

BUT I WAS HIS FIRST RECORD.

DID I ALBUMS FOR YEARS FOR FOLK WAYS AND ONE FOR WARNER BROTHERS.

I DID THE FIRST FOCAL BUM FOR SIRE.

THEY WENT ON TO BE A BIG -- EVERY OTHER POSSIBLE MODERN THING AFTER THAT BUT STARTED OUT WITH MY ALBUM.

AFTER ALAN LOMAX RECORDED MY SONGS FOR THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HE URGED ME TO HAVE THEM PUBLISHED NIGH BOOK.

AND SO WE STARTED GOING AROUND TO DIFFERENT PUBLISHERS AND TRIED TO GET THEM INTERESTED.

AND ONE FINALLY SAID, WELL, WE WOULD LIKE TO PUBLISH YOUR 300 SONGS OR 400, OR HOWEVER MANY THERE ARE, BUT YOU'RE AN UNKNOWN PERSON AND THAT'S A BIG BODY OF MUSIC.

BUT THEY LIKED MY WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO THE SONGS AND SO THEY ASKED ME TO EXPAND THOSE INTRODUCTIONS AND MAKE IT INTO MORE OF A WRITTEN BOOK.

AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.

THAT'S HOW I CAME TO WRITE THE BOOK.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT BOOK, BUT IT WAS ABOUT MY PEOPLE, ABOUT APPALACHIA WHERE I GREW UP, AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS WRITTEN ABOUT THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS.

IT WAS PRETTY STEREOTYPICAL.

THESE ARE PEOPLE YOU WOULD BE GLAD TO OWN AND CLAIM KIN TO.

♪ I COME FROM THE MOUNTAINS ♪ KENTUCKY'S MY HOME ♪♪ >> I CAN'T TO WRITE SONGS.

AND THE VERY FIRST SONG I EVER WROTE WAS A LULLABY AND THAT WAS WHEN MY BOYS WERE LITTLE.

BUT THEN LATER ON THINGS BEGAN TO HAPPEN IN THE MOUNTAINS WHERE I'M FROM, HAZARD AND THE COAL FIELDS DOWN THERE.

THINGS BEGAN TO HAPPEN.

AND PEOPLE'S OUTRAGE OVER THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING.

THE TREATMENT THAT THEIR LAND WAS GETTING AND THE WATER WAS BEING SPOILED.

♪♪ >> SHE CHANNELED HER INTO SONGS AND INTO WORDS THAT WOULD TELL PEOPLE, WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU COULD WALK AROUND THESE MOUNTAINS AND THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IS YOU MIGHT COME UPON A COPPERHEAD LYING IN THE SUNLIGHT AND HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.

NOW THE COPPER HEADS CARRY ATTACHE CASES.

>> SHE DEALT WITH SOMETIMES WHAT ARE CALLED SOCIAL ISSUES AND THE ECOLOGY AND WHATEVER, I LIKE HER APPROACH BETTER THAN THE MORE OBVIOUSLY PROTEST KIND OF SONGS.

♪♪ ♪ BLACK WATER ♪ ♪ BLACK WATER ♪ ♪ RUN DOWN THROUGH THE LAND ♪♪ >> I FINISHED UPPER "BLACK WATERS" BECAUSE PETE SEEGER HAD CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THEY WERE DOING A MEMORIAL TO WOODY GUTHRIE AND WOULD I COME AND PLAY SOMETHING, AND I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS APPROPRIATE, SO I FINISHED UP "BLACK WATERS."

AND THEN WHEN I SANG IT, I INTRODUCED IT AS SOMETHING THAT WOODY AND I HAD WRITTEN BECAUSE HE LIVED IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY.

SO I WAS VERY MUCH INFLUENCED BY PEOPLE LIKE WOODY GUTHRIE AND LIKE PETE SEEGER.

AND "BLACK WATERS" SPOKE TO THE FEELING OF A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THE BRANCH WATERS AND THE NORTH FORK OF KENTUCKY AND ALL THOSE RIVERS WERE BEING POLLUTED, WHERE WE USED TO FISH AND SWIM AND BAPTIZE AND DO EVERYTHING IN THE RIVERS, NOW WE CAN'T DO THOSE THINGS ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE POLLUTED.

AND THEN CAME THE L&M AND OUR LITTLE TRAIN AND BLUE DIAMOND MINES ABOUT MINE SAFETY UNDERGROUND.

I HAD TWO BROTHERS THAT WORKED IN MINES AND SO WE WERE VERY MUCH CONSCIOUS OF THAT, OF BEING WORRIED ABOUT THEM WHEN THEY WERE UNDERGROUND.

I DID THOSE SONGS ALL ABOUT THE SAME TIME, AND THEN I DIDN'T DO ANY MORE FOR A YEAR.

>> FOR TWO REASONS, ONE, I DIDN'T WANT MY MOTHER BOTHERED BY PEOPLE.

THEY SAID, YOUR DAUGHTER IS OUT THERE DOING PROTEST SONGS AND SHE MUST BE A COMMUNIST.

PEOPLE WERE SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT, SO I JUST PUT MY GRANDFATHER'S NAME ON IT.

I WANTED TO HAVE JOHN HALL, WHICH WAS HIS NAME, BUT WE TREATED THEM AS MINE.

THEY DIDN'T LET ME HAVE HIS NAME, SO I TOOK THE END OF THE NAME, HALL, JUST FOR THE PROTEST SONGS.

AND THE OTHER REASON THAT I DID IT WAS THAT I FIGURED IF THEY -- PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS A MAN WHO WROTE THE SONGS, THEY WOULD SING THE STONGS, THEY WOULD RESPECT THE SONGS MORE BECAUSE WOMEN'S WRITINGS AND SINGING AND SO ON IN THOSE DAYS STILL HADN'T COME INTO ITS OWN AS MUCH.

AND IT WORKED.

>> JOHNNY CASH AND I KNEW EACH OTHER AT THE NEWPORT FESTIVAL.

THAT'S HOW WE GOT ACQUAINTED.

HE SAID, "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE ME A SONG?"

I SAID, "OKAY.

I'LL WRITE YOU BUN ONE."

I SENT IT TO HIM AND HE DIDN'T LIKE IT IS.

BUT A FEW NEARS YEARS LATER HE SANG L&M.

MICHELLE SHOCKED SORT OF IRONS OUT THE WHOLE TUNE AND JOHNNY CASH USED FRENCH HORNS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF FANCY THINGS IN THE SONG.

STILL A GOOD SONG.

MY FAVORITE SONG TO THIS DAY, MY FAVORITE JEAN RITCHIE SONG IS NINE FOOT -- IT EARMARKED A PARTICULAR PASSAGE IN MY LIFE, THE BEGINNING OF WHEN ASHLEY AND I REDISCOVERING OUR OWN APPALACHIA BY MOVING BACK TO KENTUCKY, AND SHE WAS JUST AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT REDISCOVERY.

EMILY WAS RECORDING A ALBUM USING THE WHITE SISTERS.

AND EMILY HAD GOT TO THE LAST CUT ON HER ALBUM AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SLOW SONG, AND SHE HATED THE ONE HE SAID, AND SHE SAID, "I WISH I HAD A REALLY PRETTY SONG THAT WOULD FILL THIS SPOT."

AND THE WHITE GIRLS SAID, WE KNOW A SONG THAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PLAINS, ONE OF JEAN RITCHIE'S SONGS.

I CALL IT "SWEET SORROW IN THE WIND."

SHE CALLS IT "SORROW IN THE WIND."

AND THEY HUMMED IT FOR HER AND SHE SAID, "THAT'S THE ONE.

THAT'S THE ONE."

♪ WHEN WE'RE APART ♪ ♪ MY DARLING ♪ ♪ THERE'S SORROW IN THE WIND ♪ ♪ WHEN WE'RE APART ♪ ♪ MY DARLING ♪ SWEET SORROW ♪ ♪ IN THE WIND ♪ >> AND A YEAR OR TWO AFTER SHE RECORDED THAT, THEN SHE PUT ANOTHER SONG, "MY DEAR COMPANION," ON HER TRIO ALBUM WITH DOLLY PARTON AND LINDA RONSTADT.

♪ MY DEAR COMPANION ♪ ♪♪ >> ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS IN THE LIFE OF THAT SONG WAS WHEN EMMYLOU SANG IT WITH LINDA RONSTADT AND DOLLY PARTON.

AND ONE OF DOLLY'S BIG TELEVISION SHOWS.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> SO I'VE DONE ALL THOSE ALBUMS AND HAD NEVER USED ANYTHING ELECTRIC OR HADN'T REALLY PRODUCED THE ALBUMS VERY MUCH.

THEY WERE ALL DEFINITELY FOCAL BUMS.

AND GEORGE HAD THE IDEA THAT, WELL, MAYBE WE CAN DO AN ALBUM THAT WILL GET PLAYED ON A.M.

STATIONS AS WELL AS FM STATIONS.

LET'S MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE MODERN.

AND I SAID, "NO, NO, NO, LET'S NOT DO THAT."

AND THERE WAS THIS BIG SORT OF ARGUMENTS IN THE HOUSE.

AND WE FINALLY DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND DO A PRODUCED ALBUM ANYWAY.

AND SEE IF THE STATIONS WOULD PLAY IT.

AND THAT'S HOW WE -- WE GRABBED I. OUR OLD FRIEND ERIC WISEBERG WHO HAD JUST PLAYED ACOUSTIC BANJO ON MANY OF MY OTHER ALBUMS AND BY NOW HE HAD HIS DELIVERS BAND AFTER THE MOVIE, YOU KNOW, AND HE HAD ELECTRIC INSTRUMENTS AND SO ON AND WHEN THEY CAME THEY BROUGHT THE ELECTRIC INSTRUMENTS, AND I DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT.

THEY WERE JUST PLAYING ALONG AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE PLUGGED IN.

I THOUGHT IT SOUNDED NICE.

IT WAS VERY TASTEFUL IF IT WAS ELECTRIC.

I GUESS GEORGE'S IDEA WAS RIGHT.

ADDED A FEW MODERN CONVENIENCES TO THE MUSIC AND AM RADIO WILL PLAY IT, AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

ONE, TO MY SURPRISE, WAS NAMED BEST FOCAL BUM OF THE YEAR IN 1977 BY ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE.

>> THE PRODUCERS WE WORK WITH ON THAT WERE VERY DIFFERENT FROM ANY PRODUCERS I THINK HE SAID EVER WORKED WITH BEFORE BECAUSE THEY HAD A VERY SORT OF POP SENTIMENT, SENSIBILITY, AND THEY PUT HER IN SITUATIONS SHE HADN'T BEEN IN.

I THINK IT CAME OFF VERY WELL.

>> IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT.

I THINK IT'S THE FIRST ALBUM SHE EVER DID WHERE THERE WAS PERCUSSION ON IT.

>> I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS A BIG FOLK MUSIC FAN AND HE ALWAYS REFERS TO THAT ALBUM AS JEAN RITCHIE'S "SERGEANT PEPPER."

>> I DIDN'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT OTHER MUSIC, AND I KNOW SEVERAL OTHER DIFFERENT KINDS OF SONGS AND I LIKE A LITTLE JAZZ ONCE IN A WHILE.

THAT'S WHAT MY SON PETER SAID WHEN HE WAS ABOUT FOUR.

HE SAID, "MOMMY, IS IT ALL RIGHT IF I LIKE A LITTLE JAZZ?"

>> JEAN RITCHIE, LIKE THE REST OF US, WILL SOME DAY PASS IN HISTORY, BUT SHE'LL BE THERE, HER MUSIC WILL LIVE.

>> I'VE BEEN PERFORMING NOW FOR 50 YEARS, I GUESS.

A GOOD ROUND FIGURE.

MY NEW ALBUM IS NUMBER 40-SOMETHING.

ALL MY LIFE I HAVE NOT FIT INTO ANY CATEGORY.

I'VE BEEN TOO FOLK TO BE CONSIDERED ANYTHING ELSE AND TOO, I GUESS YOU'D SAY, MUSICALLY AWARE TO BE CONSIDERED A FOLK.

ROMAN ONCE INTRODUCED ME BY SAYING I COULDN'T BE A REAL FOLK SINGER BECAUSE I HAD BEEN TO COLLEGE.

MY LATEST RECORDING IS PART OF OLD MUSIC AND PART BLUEGRASS, PART COUNTRY.

"MOUNTAIN BORN" IS A COLLECTION OF SONGS, SOME OLD $1.00, SOME NEW ONES D. OLD ONES, SOME NEW ONES, MAYBE A CHILDREN'S SONG, SOME LOVE SONGS, SOME BAL ADDS, SOME NEW THINGS.

THE NEWEST ONE, AND THE REASON FOR THE ALBUM, IS "MOUNTAIN BOY."

♪♪ ♪♪ I THINK OUR FAMILY REUNION MEANS ABOUT THE SAME AS ANY OTHER FAMILY REUNION.

THEY'RE GETTING TO BE MORE AND MORE OF THEM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

AND THAT'S GOOD.

I THINK A SENSE FAMILY IS VERY GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY.

AND OUR FAMILY NUMBERS, OH, WELL, WAY OVER 100, YOU KNOW, THE DESCENDENTS AND ALL, AND THEY'RE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, BUT IT'S GREAT TO COME BACK HERE AND REMEMBER WHERE IT ALL STARTED AND PAY HONOR TO THE ANCESTORS AND RECHARGE OUR BATTERIES.

WE ALL COME BACK TO THIS LITTLE COMMUNITY AND REMEMBER HOW MOM AND DAD STARTED OUT ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> I'M 73 NOW.

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME OF TRAVELING.

AND AS THE YEARS DRAW DOWN, I FIND WHAT I ENJOY MOST IS JUST BEING WITH MY FAMILY HERE IN THE HOLLER WHERE I WAS BORN SINGING AT THE MOON, AS THEY USED TO SAY, WITH GEORGE AND OUR SONS, MY SISTERS AND BRO' AND ALL THEIR NIECES AND NEPHEWS ALL GATHERED AROUND.

THESE OLD SONGS ARE ALIVE AND AS VITAL AS THEY EVER WERE.

AND THE OLD HILLS SURROUNDING US AND THE MUSIC MAKE IT ALL JUST RIGHT.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪