Jean Ritchie

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Jean Ritchie was nicknamed the “Mother of Folk.” A singer-songwriter, and dulcimer player from Viper, Kentucky, she grew up in her family band The Singing Ritchies, eventually sharing the stage in 1948 with The Weavers, Woody Guthrie and Betty Sanders at the Spring Fever Hootenanny. WNYC radio adopted her as a regular by October 194 and Ritchie went on to perform at Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. In 2002, Ritchie received a National Endowment For The Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. “Sweet River” is an exampler of her unique ability to blend traditional and modern folk.