Attention old folkies! I just finished a book that you should check out. It's titled "Number 1," and in the interest of full disclosure, it's written by my cousin, Richard E. Noble, a teacher by trade, folk music fan by hobby and folk show DJ on the Worcester, Mass., Public Radio affiliate, WICN in his spare time.
The book details the unlikely rise to fame and fabled career and music of The Highwaymen, but it's more than that. It's a fun romp through that time, when folk music spilled from coffee houses and college campuses into the mainstream in the late '50s and early '60s.The book is perhaps most valuable as a trigger for memories of that time; it is peppered with stories and references not just related to the Highwaymen but to many of the musicians who made up what was called "the Great Folk Music Scare." As you flip the pages, you'll stumble across Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Dave Van Ronk, the Weavers, the New Christy Minstrels, the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary, countless others.
It's the kind of book that will send you looking through your old vinyl, pulling out cherished, scratchy records you hadn't heard in a while. Of, if you're like me, a little too young to have gotten caught up in it the first time, you'll probably check a few things out on iTunes or through artist Web sites.
Wisely, my cousin's book does not simply dwell in the past, but carries the story into the present and shows how the Great Folk Music Scare echoes to this day. I bet not a week goes by where some musician who was greatly influenced by the time doesn't come through town. Or think of this: how many times this summer do you think "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore" - the big hit for the Highwaymen - is going to be sung at some camp or vacation Bible school?
Published by Outskirts Press, "Number 1" can be found on Amazon and other outlets. Or visit OutskirtsPress.com.