A folksinger of the 1960's

He was clever in the types of songs he chose to sing and in the voice he used to sing them, for example, changing the lyrics of the folk classic, "House of the Rising Son," so that the protagonist became a she instead of a he. Subtle things, so that someone listening was intrigued both by his voice and the sense that somehow he'd made an old song new.

It was a time when poor people were much more rewarding than rich people; there was something forbidden about poverty that made it attractive, especially to the young. A folksinger found songs in those neighborhoods, among suffering, inequality, unhappiness. It was the opposite of today, where the rich are most interesting and would almost die for their right to be listened to.

When it came time to write the memoir he declined, though a major publishing house dangled millions. There was no use in saying anything because there was nothing left to say.