Folk On!
Thanks for showcasing one of the most underappreciated song writers of the 60s and 70s. He was a pioneer in so many ways. Critics were loath to give him the credit he deserved since they only saw him as a Monkee. Heck, even the Monkees were ahead of their time.
Michael Nesmith - This week's SASS presents some of the music of Michael Nesmith 1942-2021. Michael's songwriting and playing filled the hit TV show The Monkees with his warm and interestingly melodic songs which often featured some quirky lyrical twists.
The Song Button - Jackson C. Frank - Since first hearing his music earlier this year, I've become fascinated with the music and life of Jackson C. Frank. A native of Cheektowaga, near Buffalo, New York, in 1954, at the age of 11, Jackson survived a furnace explosion and fire at his school in which 15 of his fellow students perished. He lead a life lived in pain and disfigurement from burns over 50% of his body. In 1965, Jackson's talent came to the notice of Paul Simon who produced Jackson's first and only album. After the release of the record, Frank was plagued by a series of personal issues and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and protracted depression that prevented him from maintaining his career.
Frank spent his later life homeless and destitute and died in 1999 from a combination of pneumonia and cardiac arrest. Though he only released one record, he has been cited as an influence by many singer-songwriters, including Paul Simon, Sandy Denny, Bert Jansch, and Nick Drake. Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke called Frank "one of the best forgotten songwriters of the 1960s. Thanks For Dropping By & Happy Holidays! Folk On! Ken
Responses