Newport Folk Festival is an annual

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

folk-oriented

music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or ho ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hir ...

. It was one of the first modern music festivals in America, and remains a focal point in the expanding genre of folk music. The festival was held annually from 1959 to 1969, except in 1961 and 1962. In 1985, its founder revived it in Newport, where it has been held at

Fort Adams State Park Fort Adams State Park is a public recreation and historic area preserving Fort Adams, a large coastal fortification located at the harbor mouth in Newport, Rhode Island, that was active from 1841 through the first half of the 20th century. The s ...

ever since.

History

Founding

The Newport Folk Festival was started in 1959 by

George Wein George Wein (October 3, 1925 – September 13, 2021) was an American jazz promoter, pianist, and producer.

, founder of the already-well-established Newport Jazz Festival, and owner of Storyville, a jazz club located in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1958, Wein became aware of the growing Folk Revival movement and began inviting folk artists such as

Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire co ...

to perform on Sunday afternoons at Storyville. The afternoon performances consistently sold out and Wein began to consider the possibility of a "folk afternoon embedded within the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival". Wein envisioned the program to be "similar in scope and tone to the highly successful blues and gospel shows" that had taken place at the Jazz Festival in previous years. Wein asked Odetta,

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notabl ...

, and

the Weavers The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City originally consisting of Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman. Founded in 1948, the group sang traditional folk songs fr ...

to perform on the afternoon in addition to

the Kingston Trio The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, ...

. Some in the jazz community accused Wein of crass commercialism in booking these groups because they deviated from, and had a larger following than, most jazz musicians of the time. This pressure coupled with his various conversations with those in the folk community made it clear to Wein that an afternoon program at the Jazz Festival would not suffice and that there was demand for a full Folk festival. Aware of his own limitations in the folk scene, Wein asked

Albert Grossman Albert Bernard Grossman (May 21, 1926 – January 25, 1986) was an American entrepreneur and manager in the American folk music and rock and roll scene. He was famous as the manager of many of the most popular and successful performers of folk an ...

, then Odetta's manager, to join him in planning and producing the festival. Grossman accepted and began working with Wein to book talent and organize the weekend. Pete Seeger was also involved with the founding of the festival. The inaugural festival, held at Freebody Park, included Pete Seeger,

Earl Scruggs Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012) was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-finge ...

, the Kingston Trio, John Jacob Niles,

Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and oc ...

and Brownie McGhee, Odetta, The

New Lost City Ramblers The New Lost City Ramblers, or NLCR, was an American contemporary old-time string band that formed in New York City in 1958 during the folk revival. Mike Seeger, John Cohen and Tom Paley were its founding members. Tracy Schwarz replaced Paley ...

, and more. Perhaps the most notable performance was the surprise debut of the eighteen year old

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

, who was brought on as a guest of

Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" ...

. The festival returned in 1960 and was expanded to include three nights. The lineup placed an emphasis on music diversity, booking performers from Africa, Scotland, Spain, Israel, and Ireland alongside "traditional" folk musicians such as Pete Seeger,

Ewan McColl James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a Folk music, folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, Union organizer, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish people, ...

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often in ...

, Cisco Houston and

Tommy Makem Thomas Makem (4 November 1932 – 1 August 2007) was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banj ...

Civil Rights Movement

In 1962, two young members of the

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, often pronounced ) was the principal channel of student commitment in the United States to the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Emerging in 1960 from the student-led sit-ins at segreg ...

(SNCC) formed a gospel vocal quartet named the

Freedom Singers The Freedom Singers originated as a quartet formed in 1962 at Albany State College in Albany, Georgia. After folk singer Pete Seeger witnessed the power of their congregational-style of singing, which fused black Baptist ''a cappella'' church singin ...

. And in 1962, Pete and

Toshi Seeger Toshi Seeger (born Toshi Aline Ohta; July 1, 1922 – July 9, 2013) was an American filmmaker, producer and environmental activist. A filmmaker who specialized in the subject of folk music, Toshi's credits include the 1966 film ''Afro-American Wo ...

assisted the Freedom Singers in organizing a nationwide collegiate tour. As a result, the civil rights movement became deeply embraced by the folk music community. In 1963, the Freedom Singers performed on the first night of the Newport Folk festival, and on the second night Joan Baez joined SNCC activists and roughly 600 festival-goers on a march through Newport. The crowd walked past the Bellevue Avenue mansions and into Touro Park, where SNCC's executive secretary

James Forman James Forman (October 4, 1928 – January 10, 2005) was a prominent African-American leader in the civil rights movement. He was active in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Black Panther Party, and the League of Revolutio ...

and Freedom Singers leader

Cordell Reagon Cordell Hull Reagon (February 22, 1943 – November 12, 1996) was an American singer and activist. He was the founding member of The Freedom Singers of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a leader of the Albany Movement and a F ...

delivered speeches, rallying support for the

March on Washington The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...

scheduled for the following March. For the final performance on Friday Wein had scheduled

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's reper ...

. But under the persuasion of Albert Grossman, who was managing Peter, Paul and Mary, Wein decided to allow

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

(whom Grossman was also managing) to close the night. After Peter, Paul and Mary finished their afternoon set, Wein announced that they would reappear at the end of the evening. Dylan performed a set consisting of particularly topical songs: "With God on Our Side", "Talkin' John Birch Society Blues", and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall". Peter, Paul and Mary then returned and performed an encore of "Blowin' in the Wind". Amidst a "deafening roar of applause" they brought to the stage Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger,

Theo Bikel Theodore Meir Bikel ( ; May 2, 1924 – July 21, 2015) was an Austrian-American actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist, and political activist. He appeared in films, including '' The African Queen'' (1951), ''Moulin Rouge'' (1952), ' ...

and the Freedom Singers. The singers stood in a single line facing the audience with crossed arms and clasped hands and began to sing a variation on the Baptist hymn "I'll Overcome Some Day". The hymn's new incarnation - "

We Shall Overcome "We Shall Overcome" is a gospel song which became a protest song and a key anthem of the American civil rights movement. The song is most commonly attributed as being lyrically descended from "I'll Overcome Some Day", a hymn by Charles Albert ...

" - had become an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement.

Revival of Mississippi John Hurt

In 1928,

Mississippi John Hurt John Smith Hurt (March 8, 1893 – November 2, 1966), better known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer and guitarist. Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself to play the guitar around the age of nine. He w ...

, a self-taught amateur musician and farmer, recorded 13 songs for Okeh Records which failed to achieve commercial success. Believing his musical career to be over, Hurt continued farming, apparently thinking little of his brief recording gig. Post WWII, few records cut by southern musicians in the 1920s were commercially available. Hurt's records were particularly rare, since few had been manufactured in the first place. But Harry Smith, a member of a tiny subculture of obsessive, cranky collectors, put two John Hurt cuts on his influential 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, prompting many blues hobbyists to begin searching for him. In 1963, Tom Hoskins and Mike Stewart acquired a tape of Hurt's Avalon Blues through their informal network of tape traders. Hurt had recorded Avalon Blues at the end of a week-long stay in New York that spanned Christmas 1928. Apparently homesick in the big city, Hurt included a line about his home in Avalon being always on his mind. Hoskins and Stewart were able to locate Avalon and track Hurt down. After asking Hurt to perform, to ensure he was actually who he claimed to be, Hoskins convinced Hurt to move to Washington D.C. and embark on a national tour. The tour culminated on Saturday evening of the 1963 Newport Folk Festival, when Mississippi John Hurt performed alongside Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry and

for a blues workshop at the Newport Casino. The performance is considered to be a seminal moment for the folk revival and caused Hurt to rise to fame. He performed extensively at colleges, concert halls, and coffeehouses and appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Electric Dylan controversy

Bob Dylan's 1963 and 1964 performances solo and with Baez had made him popular with the Newport crowd, but on July 25, 1965 festival headliner Dylan was booed by some fans when he played with backing band

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...

. It is usually said that the reason for the hostile reception by a small number of fans was Dylan's "abandoning" of the folk

orthodoxy Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Church ...

, or poor sound quality on the night (or a combination of the two). The controversy regarding the reaction of the audience at this event is often overplayed, as it was not the general reaction of the audience, but rather that of a small number of folk "purists", including Pete Seeger. The reaction of "the crowd" to Dylan's performance, certainly from eyewitness accounts, was generally quite enthusiastic. This performance, Dylan's first live "plugged-in" set of his professional career, marked the shift in his artistic direction from folk to rock, and had wider implications for both genres. The performance marked the first time Dylan performed "Like a Rolling Stone" in public. Despite the musical transition, Dylan's growing status within the larger

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. H ...

ensured that his place in the expanding movement would remain secure. Dylan did not return to Newport until 2002, when he played a headlining performance while wearing a wig and fake beard.

Johnny Cash Introduces Kris Kristofferson

In 1969, the

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...

troupe was to perform on opening night of the festival. Cash had recently become aware of

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...

, a young, relatively unknown country singer-songwriter, and convinced George Wein to allow Kristofferson to join him onstage. Kristofferson's performance of "Me and Bobby McGee" and other songs gave him a launch into his musical career. The 1969 festival also included the debut festival performance of

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...

, who performed "

Carolina in My Mind "Carolina in My Mind" is a song originally written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. It was Taylor's second single from his 1968 self-titled debut album. Taylor wrote ''Carolina in My Mind'' while overseas recording for ...

" to a standing ovation during a "young performers" showcase. However, Taylor only performed for 15 minutes before Wein ended the festival early with the announcement that

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, ...

had landed on the Moon.

End of Folk Festival, hiatus and return

The Folk Festival did not return to Newport in 1970, due to financial issues and local controversies involving the Newport Jazz Festival. Following a riot at the jazz festival in 1971, Wein deactivated both events. Wein reestablished the Newport Jazz Festival in 1981, and the folk festival returned to town in 1985.

Michelle Shocked V-J Day Protest

The Newport Folk Festival has, throughout various points in its history, remained connected to protest movements. In the 60's the festival played a substantial part in the civil rights movement. In the early 80's the Newport Folk Festival was one of the first festivals to serve as a platform for climate change protest. In the 1990s, playing on

Victory Day Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...

(originally "

Victory over Japan Day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...

" or "V-J Day") folk musician

Michelle Shocked Michelle Shocked (born Karen Michelle Johnston; February 24, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter. Her music has entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and received an award f ...

asked the entire standing audience to drop to the ground on cue to show what it would look like when crowds died on "Hiroshima Day." This was relevant to the locale of the festival as Rhode Island is the only US state which still officially celebrates the holiday, and the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...

is also in Newport, a mere two miles from the

where the festival is held.

Return of Bob Dylan

In 2002, Bob Dylan returned to the Newport Folk Festival for the first time since his shocking performance in 1965, in which he went electric. The '65 appearance at the Folk Festival was a turning point in his career, a distancing of himself from his acoustic folk music to his more blues-based electric music. Despite wide speculation that Dylan would once again attempt to "shock" the audience at Newport, Dylan performed a straightforward set, with few surprises aside from his adoption of a wig and fake beard. The performance was reviewed favorably and provided a much-needed economic boost to the festival. Dylan has not returned to the Folk Festival since this 2002 performance, but festival organizer Jay Sweet told ''

The Providence Journal ''The Providence Journal'', colloquially known as the ''ProJo'', is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island, and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspape ...

'' in 2016 that Dylan has a standing invitation to play the festival anytime he wants.

Pixies Go Acoustic

Alternative rock band

The Pixies Pixies is an American alternative rock band formed in 1986, in Boston, Massachusetts. Until 2013, the band consisted of Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass, vocals) and David Lovering ...

recorded an acoustic performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 2005. The set was deemed "Pixies Go Acoustic" as a play on words in reference to Bob Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. The performance was recorded and turned into a feature film directed by Michael B Borofsky, titled Pixies: Acoustic: Live in Newport.

Establishment of Foundation

The Newport Folk Festival has existed in various forms since its creation; founded as a

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, the festival became a for-profit in the mid-eighties. However, in 2011, the festival announced it would return to its non-profit status under the umbrella of the Newport Festivals Foundation. The Foundation not only strived to sustain the Newport Folk and Newport Jazz Festival, but also expand the impact of its Festivals through educational initiatives that celebrate innovation while preserving the deep traditions inherent in Jazz and Folk music.

Turning Point/50th Celebration

In 2008, Executive Producer, George Wein hired Jay Sweet as an associate of the festival. At the time, the folk festival was struggling financially and with Sweet's recommendations, the 2008 line-up varied drastically from previous years. Rock band the Black Crowes and Trey Anastasio, frontman of Phish, headlined and other artists on the bill included Stephen Marley and Damian Marley, sons of reggae icon Bob Marley. The Festival was well attended and received favorable press, despite folk purists questioning the modernization of the festival. Sweet continued his unconventional and somewhat controversial style of booking artists that challenged the conservative definitions of folk music. With 2009 being the 50th anniversary of the festival, Sweet used the opportunity to book both modern and traditional folk acts; symbolizing the past and current styles of folk music. The success of the 2009 festival marked a turning point in the festival's history. In 2011 the two day festival sold out Saturday and in 2012 the festival sold out both days. In 2013 the festival expanded to three days and sold out both Saturday and Sunday. In 2014 the festival sold out all three days months in advance. The festival has sold out every year since.

65 Revisited

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan going electric at Newport, the Festival scheduled a program titled 65 Revisited on the final night of the 2015 festival. The program's details and performers were kept secret prior to the performance - prompting various rumors including the return of Bob Dylan. Instead, the program featured an array of more contemporary musicians, including

Taylor Goldsmith Taylor Dawes Goldsmith is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer, guitarist, and chief songwriter of American folk rock band Dawes. Early life Goldsmith has a younger brother, Griffin. They ...

of Dawes,

Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, coun ...

and

David Rawlings David Todd Rawlings (born December 31, 1969) is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Son ...

, Willie Watson, Hozier and Klara Soderberg of First Aid Kit, John McCauley and Ian O'Neil of Deer Tick, Robyn Hitchcock and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans. The ensemble performed a collection of Dylan's material, ending the performance with "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,".

COVID-19 Pandemic

The 2020 edition of the festival was canceled due to the global

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. Artists who were scheduled to perform at the festival were invited to return for the 2021 edition. In March 2021, Rhode Island governor Dan McKee announced that the state was working with the Newport Festivals Foundation to hold the folk and jazz festivals in the summer with modified capacities and a different format. Instead of its typical format, the 2021 Newport Folk Festival was instead formatted as two three-day events in July featuring performances, storytelling and workshops.

2022: Joni Mitchell surprise appearance

The 2022 festival marked a return to normal operations. A highlight was when

Brandi Carlile Brandi Marie Carlile ( ; born June 1, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and producer whose music spans many genres, including folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock. , Carlile has released seven studio albums. She has ...

introduced a surprise appearance by

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her st ...

as the festival's closing act. This was the 78 year old Mitchell's first full-length public performance since the early 2000s and her first appearance at the festival since 1969.

Programming style

In recent years, the Newport Folk Festival has developed a reputation for selling out of tickets before announcing the lineup. Unlike most festivals, the festival "rolls out" their lineup over the course of the year instead of releasing a lineup poster on one day. The festival has also developed a reputation for programming surprise, unannounced artists. Past instances include the 65 Revisited program (2015), in which Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Dawes, and Willie Watson appeared unannounced. Other surprise moments include

My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket is an American rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The ...

(2015),

(2016),

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-s ...

(2017),

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, k ...

(2018),

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...

(2019),

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

(2022), and

(2022). Like 65 Revisited in 2015, 2018's A Change Is Gonna Come closing set paired guests from the weekend with unannounced guests including

Leon Bridges Todd Michael "Leon" Bridges (born July 13, 1989) is an American soul singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2015 song " Coming Home", which received regular airplay and was also a Top 10 Most Viral Track on Spotify. Brid ...

Chris Thile Christopher Scott Thile (; born February 20, 1981) is an American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality, best known for his work in the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek and the acoustic folk and progressive blue ...

, and

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Duri ...

Setting

The Newport Folk Festival takes place every year at

, in

. Fort Adams houses four stages, the Fort Stage which sits looking out at Newport harbor and the famous Claiborne Pell Bridge, the Harbor Stage, The Quad Stage, and The Museum Stage. The festival is known for its beautiful setting- as the music blog

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

puts it, "Located at the gorgeously scenic Fort Adams, in Newport, Rhode Island, glimmering, clear blue water surrounds the small vivid green peninsula. Look out from the fort towers and you'll see hundreds of beautiful boats rocking along the water."
Consequence of Sound
.

frontman

Jim James James Edward Olliges Jr. (born April 27, 1978), professionally known as Jim James or Yim Yames, is an American vocalist, guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter of the rock band My Morning Jacket. He has also released several solo albums. ...

told

Spin Magazine ''Spin'' (stylized in all caps) is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. Now owned by Next Management Partners, the magazine is an online publication since it stopped issuing a print edition in 2012. Histor ...

, "You've got the sun on your skin and the breeze in your hair. It's magical here... It's just magical."
SPIN at Newport Folk 2010
Brandi Carlile says "It's one of my favorites so far if not my favorite."

WMVY WMVY (88.7 FM; "Mvyradio") is a non-commercial community-oriented adult album alternative radio station based in the town of Tisbury, Massachusetts and licensed to serve Edgartown, both on the island of Martha's Vineyard. The station is owned ...

began streaming the festival in 2005 and was joined by

NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...

in 2008. WMVY'
Archives
contains both performances and interviews from Newport Folk and NPR music has recorded sets available for listening here
NPR at Newport Folk 2010

Sustainability

The festival has made efforts in being green-friendly, teaming with many groups to do so. They partnered with

Clean Water Action Clean Water Action is an American environmental advocacy group. Created in 1972, the group focuses on canvassing and gaining support for political issues and candidates. It is a 501(c)(4) organization and is based in Washington, D.C. History The ...

and Rhode Island Resource Recovery to collect 1.5 tons of recyclables. CWA worked onsite picking up trash and recycling, and set up composting stations to curb the waste generated during the event. A portion of beer and wine sales went to CWA to support their work. The official beer of the festival,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

-based Magic Hat used plant-based, 100% compostable cups. The festival also partnered with CLIF Bar, who set up a bike valet to encourage people to cycle to the event and participate in their 2-Mile Challenge. They worked with New England Wind Fund to offset power used during the festival, and Klean Kanteen to provide reusable water bottles. They also partnered with Farm Fresh Rhode Island to incorporate local foods into the vendors' fare.

Awards

* In 2015, the Newport Folk Festival was named Music Festival of the Year by Consequence of Sound. * In 2012, the Newport Folk Festival was named Music Festival of Year by Pollstar. * In 2014, the Newport Folk Festival was named Music Festival of Year by Pollstar. * In 2015, the Newport Folk Festival was named Music Festival of Year by Pollstar.

Albums recorded at the festival

* ''The Newport Folk Festival, 1959'' Volumes-

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. It was a primarily classical label at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but also has a catalogue of recordings by a n ...

* '' The Kingston Trio Live at Newport'' -

(1959 performance released in 1994) * ''The Newport Folk Festival, 1960'' Volumes- Vanguard Records * '' The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker'' (Vee-Jay 1961) - features two tracks recorded at 1960 Festival * ''Live at Newport'' - Phil Ochs (Compilation from '63, '64, '66)

Albums issued by Vanguard Records after the 1963 Newport Folk Festival

* ''Newport Broadside (Topical Songs)'' - VRS-9144 (Mono) and VSD-79144 (Stereo)

, Bob Davenport, Bob Dylan, The Freedom Singers, Jim Garland, Sam Hinton, Peter La Farge, Ed McCurdy,

Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter and protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer). Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, political activism, often alliterative lyrics, and ...

, Tom Paxton,

* ''Blues at Newport'' - VRS-9145 (Mono) and VS-79145 (Stereo) Rev. Gary Davis, John Hammond,

Brownie McGhee Walter Brown "Brownie" McGhee (November 30, 1915 – February 16, 1996) was an American folk music and Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaboration with the harmonica player Sonny Terry. Life and career McGhee was ...

and

* ''Country Music and Bluegrass At Newport'' - VRS-9146 (Mono) and VSD-79146 (Stereo) Clarence "Tom" Ashley, Clint Howard, Jim and Jesse and the Virginia Boys,

Tex Logan Benjamin Franklin "Tex" Logan, Jr. (June 6, 1927 – April 24, 2015) was an American electrical engineer and bluegrass music fiddler. Born in Coahoma, Texas, Logan earned a B.Sc. in electrical engineering at Texas Tech University, then Texas Technol ...

, The Morris Brothers,

The New Lost City Ramblers The New Lost City Ramblers, or NLCR, was an American contemporary old-time string band that formed in New York City in 1958 during the folk revival. Mike Seeger, John Cohen and Tom Paley were its founding members. Tracy Schwarz replaced Paley ...

, Fred Price,

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. W ...

, Mac Wiseman, and The Country Boys. * ''Old Time Music At Newport'' - VRS-9147 (Mono) and VSD-79147 (Stereo) Clarence "Tom" Ashley,

Doc Boggs Moran Lee "Dock" Boggs (February 7, 1898 – February 7, 1971) was an American old-time singer, songwriter and banjo player. His style of banjo playing, as well as his singing, is considered a unique combination of Appalachian folk music and Af ...

Maybelle Carter "Mother" Maybelle Carter (born Maybelle Addington; May 10, 1909 – October 23, 1978) was an American country musician and "among the first" to use the Carter scratch, with which she "helped to turn the guitar into a lead instrument". It ...

, Jenes Cottrell, Dorsey Dixon, Clint Howard, Fred Price,

* ''The Newport Folk Festival 1963 - The Evening Concerts: Vol. 1'' - VRS-9148 (Mono) and VSD-79148 (Stereo) * ''The Newport Folk Festival 1963 - The Evening Concerts: Vol. 2'' - VRS-9149 (Mono) and VSD-79149 (Stereo) * ''Live at Newport'' (John Lee Hooker album)

Albums issued by Vanguard Records after the 1964 Newport Folk Festival

* ''The Newport Folk Festival 1964 - Evening Concerts: Vol. 1'' - VRS-9184 (Mono) and VSD-79184 (Stereo) * ''The Newport Folk Festival 1964 - Evening Concerts: Vol. 2'' - VRS-9185 (Mono) and VSD-79185 (Stereo) * ''Long Journey Home'' - VCD-77004 (Stereo) The Kentucky Colonels (

Clarence White Clarence White (born Clarence Joseph LeBlanc; June 7, 1944 – July 15, 1973) was an American bluegrass and country guitarist and singer. He is best known as a member of the bluegrass ensemble the Kentucky Colonels and the rock band the Byrd ...

Roland White Roland Joseph White (né LeBlanc; April 23, 1938 – April 1, 2022) was an American bluegrass music artist, performing principally on the mandolin. Biography White was born in Madawaska, Maine, on April 23, 1938, as Roland Joseph LeBlanc, and ...

, Billy Ray Lathum, and Roger Bush) with

and Bill Keith * ''Festival: The Newport Folk Festival 1965'' * ''Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival '88 Live'' * ''Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival, Vol. 2'' (1990) * ''Turn of the Decade 1989-90: Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival'' []

Festival lineups

Notable past performers at the Newport Folk Festival include:

First incarnation (1959-1969)

* 1959: The Kingston Trio,

with

Jean Ritchie Jean Ruth Ritchie (December 8, 1922 – June 1, 2015) was an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player, called by some the "Mother of Folk". In her youth she learned hundreds of folk songs in the traditional way (orally ...

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...

, Reverend Gary Davis,

Barbara Dane Barbara Dane (born Barbara Jean Spillman; May 12, 1927) is an American folk, blues, and jazz singer, guitarist, record producer, and political activist. She co-founded Paredon Records with Irwin Silber. "Bessie Smith in stereo," wrote jazz cri ...

and

John Jacob Niles John Jacob Niles (April 28, 1892 – March 1, 1980) was an American composer, singer and collector of traditional ballads. Called the "Dean of American Balladeers," Niles was an important influence on the American folk music revival of the 195 ...

, Oscar Brand, Ed McCurdy,

Cynthia Gooding Cynthia Gooding (August 12, 1924 – February 10, 1988) was an American folk singer who recorded traditional songs from various countries for Elektra Records in the 1950s and 1960s. Judy Collins wrote that she had been "inspired" by her. Life ...

Leon Bibb Leon Bibb (born October 5, 1944 in Butler, Alabama) is an American news anchor and commentator for WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio, and was a member of the BGSU Board of Trustees. Leon Bibb was the first African American primetime news anchor in Ohio. ...

Martha Schlamme Martha Schlamme (née Haftel; September 25, 1923 – October 6, 1985) was an Austrian-born American singer and actress. She was born to an Orthodox Jewish family in Vienna, Austria in 1923. Her parents were Meier Haftel and Gisa Braten. For ...

The Stanley Brothers The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians, made up of brothers Carter Stanley (August 27, 1925 – December 1, 1966) and Ralph Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016). Ralph and Carter perfo ...

. * 1960: Pete Seeger, The New Lost City Ramblers,

Lester Flatt Lester Raymond Flatt (June 19, 1914 – May 11, 1979) was an American bluegrass guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his collaboration with banjo picker Earl Scruggs in the duo Flatt and Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades ...

and Earl Scruggs,

Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American folk singer. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years, and was married to the singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. First American period Seeger's father ...

Ewan MacColl James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish parents, he is known as one of the ...

, Bob Gibson,

Jimmy Driftwood James Corbitt Morris (June 20, 1907 – July 12, 1998), known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was an American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs "The Battle of New Orleans" and " Tennessee Stud ...

, Ed McCurdy, Tommy Makem, Cisco Houston, Bill Lee,

Theodore Bikel Theodore Meir Bikel ( ; May 2, 1924 – July 21, 2015) was an Austrian-American actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist, and political activist. He appeared in films, including '' The African Queen'' (1951), ''Moulin Rouge'' (1952), ' ...

, Jean Carignan, Alan Mills. * 1961: No festival. * 1962: No festival. * 1963:

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...

, Joan Baez,

Peter, Paul & Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's repe ...

, Pete Seeger,

Ramblin' Jack Elliott Ramblin' Jack Elliott (born Elliot Charles Adnopoz; August 1, 1931) is an American folk singer and songwriter. Life and career Elliott was born in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, United States, the son of Florence (Rieger) and Abraham Adnopoz, a ...

, John Lee Hooker,

, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry,

Clarence Ashley Clarence "Tom" Ashley (September 29, 1895 – June 2, 1967) was an American musician and singer, who played the clawhammer banjo and the guitar. He began performing at medicine shows in the Southern Appalachian region as early as 1911, and gai ...

, John Hammond,

Dave Van Ronk David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of M ...

, Reverend Gary Davis,

Bill Monroe William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass". The genre take ...

Jim & Jesse Jim & Jesse were an American bluegrass music duo composed of brothers Jim McReynolds (February 13, 1927 – December 31, 2002) and Jesse McReynolds (born July 9, 1929). The two were born and raised in Carfax, a community near Coeburn, Virginia, ...

. * 1964: Bob Dylan,

Jose Feliciano Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean ...

, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger,

, Peter, Paul & Mary,

, Theodore Bikel,

, The Staple Singers,

Jesse Fuller Jesse Fuller (March 12, 1896 – January 29, 1976) was an American one-man band musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues". Early life Fuller was born in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta. He was sent by his mother to live wit ...

Robert Pete Williams Robert Pete Williams (March 14, 1914 – December 31, 1980) was an American Louisiana blues musician. His music characteristically employed unconventional structures and guitar tunings, and his songs are often about the time he served in priso ...

. * 1965: Bob Dylan,

, Joan Baez with

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

, Peter, Paul & Mary,

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1 ...

, Pete Seeger, Memphis Slim and

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

, Oscar Brand,

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...

and

Mimi Fariña Margarita Mimi Baez Fariña (April 30, 1945 – July 18, 2001) was an American singer-songwriter and activist, the youngest of three daughters to a Scottish mother and Mexican-American physicist Albert Baez. She was the younger sister of th ...

, Reverend Gary Davis,

Son House Edward James "Son" House Jr. (March 21, 1902His date of birth is a matter of some debate. House alleged that he was middle-aged during World War I and that he was 79 in 1965, which would make his date of birth around 1886. However, all legal re ...

, The New Lost City Ramblers, Theodore Bikel,

Lightnin' Hopkins Samuel John "Lightnin" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list ...

, Jean Ritchie,

The Chambers Brothers The Chambers Brothers are an American psychedelic soul band, best known for their eleven-minute 1967 psychedelic soul hit " Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions w ...

Hamilton Camp Hamilton Camp (Born Robin S. Camp, 30 October 1934 – 2 October 2005) was a London-born actor and singer, who relocated to the United States with his family when he was a young child. He became an American folk singer during he 1960s, and ev ...

Ian & Sylvia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. Hi ...

, Bill Monroe. * 1966:

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

Richie Havens Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk, soul (both of which he frequently covered), and rhythm and blues. He had a rhythmic guitar styl ...

, Judy Collins, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Pete Seeger,

The Lovin Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including " ...

, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Ramblin' Jack Elliott,

Skip James Nehemiah Curtis "Skip" James (June 9, 1902October 3, 1969) was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter. AllMusic stated: "This emotional, lyrical performer was a talented blues guitarist and arranger with an impressiv ...

Bukka White Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White (November 12, 1906 February 26, 1977) was an American Delta blues guitarist and singer. Biography White was born south of Houston, Mississippi. He was a first cousin of B.B. King's mother (White's mother and ...

, Son House, Dixie Hummingbirds, Dorothy Love Coates & The Original Gospel Harmonettes, The Swan Silvertones,

Hazel Dickens Hazel Jane Dickens (June 1, 1925 – April 22, 2011) was an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, double bassist and guitarist. Her music was characterized not only by her high, lonesome singing style, but also by her provocative pro- unio ...

Alice Gerrard Alice Gerrard (born July 8, 1934) is an American bluegrass singer, banjoist, fiddler, and guitar player. She performed in a duo with Hazel Dickens, and as part of The Strange Creek Singers (with Dickens, Mike Seeger, Tracy Schwarz, and Lamar ...

, Jim & Jesse. * 1967:

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...

, Joan Baez, Judy Collins,

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

, The Chambers Brothers,

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Gu ...

, Maybelle Carter,

Janis Ian Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit "Society's Child, Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" an ...

, Mimi Fariña, The Staple Singers, The Incredible String Band, Jean Ritchie, Gordon Lightfoot,

Sister Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics a ...

, Theodore Bikel,

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American (Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these ar ...

Dave Dudley Dave Dudley (born David Darwin Pedruska; May 3, 1928 – December 22, 2003) was an American country music singer best known for his truck-driving country anthems of the 1960s and 1970s and his semi-slurred bass. His signature song was " Six Day ...

Merle Travis Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States. His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic exp ...

Grandpa Jones Louis Marshall Jones (October 20, 1913 – February 19, 1998), known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.McCall, Michael; ...

. * 1968:

Big Brother and the Holding Company Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After some in ...

, Richie Havens, Joan Baez,

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

and

Junior Wells Junior Wells (born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., December 9, 1934January 15, 1998) was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his signature song " Messin' with the Kid" and his 1965 album '' Hoodoo Man Blues ...

, B.B. King, Joni Mitchell, Arlo Guthrie,

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...

Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...

Elizabeth Cotten Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten ( Nevills; January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American folk and blues musician. She was a self-taught left-handed guitarist who played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down. This pos ...

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedow ...

, Theodore Bikel,

Tim Buckley Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years. Buckley began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums experimented with ...

George Hamilton IV George Hege Hamilton IV (July 19, 1937 – September 17, 2014) was an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, switching to country music in the early 1960s. Biography Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, ...

Jerry Merrick Jerry Merrick was an American folk singer-songwriter. His songs have been recorded by Richie Havens, B.J. Thomas, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Susan Tedeschi. Merrick is best known for writing "Follow," which appeared on the 1967 Richie Havens LP ''M ...

, Janis Ian, Buell Kazee, Eric Von Schmidt, Doc Watson, Mimi Fariña,

Jim Kweskin Jim Kweskin (born July 18, 1940, Stamford, Connecticut) is an American folk, jazz, and blues musician, most notable as the founder of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, also known as Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band, with Fritz Richmond, Geoff Muldaur, Bob S ...

Fred McDowell Fred McDowell (January 12, 1904 – July 3, 1972), known by his stage name Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American hill country blues singer and guitar player. Career McDowell was born in Rossville, Tennessee, United States. His parents were f ...

Joe Heaney Joe Heaney (AKA Joe Éinniú; Irish: Seosamh Ó hÉanaí) (1 October 1919 – 1 May 1984) was an Irish traditional ( sean nós) singer from County Galway, Ireland. He spent most of his adult life abroad, living in England, Scotland and New York ...

, Ramblin' Jack Elliott,

John Hartford John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kn ...

, The Young Tradition,

Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick (1933–1986) was an African-American musician, civil rights activist, and minister from Haynesville, Louisiana. In late 1964 he was a co-founder of the Deacons for Defense and Justice, an armed black self-defense gro ...

, Pete Seeger,

Bread and Puppet Theater The Bread and Puppet Theater (often known simply as Bread & Puppet) is a politically radical puppet theater, active since the 1960s, based in Glover, Vermont . The theater was co-founded by Elka and Peter Schumann. Peter is the artistic directo ...

. * 1969: Johnny Cash with

June Carter June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the second of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the third of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. June contains the summer solstice in t ...

and

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

and

The Tennessee Three The Tennessee Three was the backing band for singer Johnny Cash for nearly 25 years; he was known especially for his country/rockabilly style, although he won awards in numerous categories. In 1980, he reorganized the group, expanding it and nami ...

Big Mama Thornton Willie Mae Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), better known as Big Mama Thornton, was an American singer and songwriter of the blues and R&B genres. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's " Hound Dog", in 1952, which becam ...

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

, Buffy Sainte-Marie,

(performance interrupted after 15 minutes), Arlo Guthrie, Muddy Waters, Joni Mitchell, Taj Mahal (did not show),

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

, Pete Seeger, Pentangle, Jesse Fuller, Buddy Moss and Brownie McGhee, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Son House,

Sleepy John Estes John Adam Estes (January 25, 1899 or 1900June 5, 1977),
known as Sleepy John Estes, was an Am ...

Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country music and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He was bes ...

Second incarnation (1985-2010)

* 1985: Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie,

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

, Judy Collins, Taj Mahal, Ramblin' Jack Elliott,

Merle Watson Eddy Merle Watson (February 8, 1949 – October 23, 1985) was an American folk and bluegrass guitarist. He was best known for his performances with his father, Doc Watson. Merle played and recorded albums together with his father from age 15 unti ...

, Tom Paxton, Dave Van Ronk,

Peter Rowan Peter Rowan (born July 4, 1942) is an American bluegrass musician and composer. Rowan plays guitar and mandolin, yodels and sings. Biography Rowan was born in Wayland, Massachusetts to a musical family. From an early age, he had an interest ...

, Mimi Fariña,

New Grass Revival New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, r ...

. * 1986: Odetta,

Tom Rush Thomas Walker Rush (born February 8, 1941) is an American folk music, folk and blues music, blues singer, guitarist and songwriter who helped launch the careers of other singer-songwriters in the 1960s and has continued his own singing career f ...

Kate & Anna McGarrigle Kate McGarrigle (February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010) and Anna McGarrigle (born December 4, 1944) were a duo of Canadian singer-songwriters (and sisters) from Quebec, who performed until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010. Music ...

, Richie Havens,

Patty Larkin Patty Larkin (born June 19, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a founding member of Four Bitchin' Babes. Her music has been described as folk-urban pop music. Life and career Patty Lar ...

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass- country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed wit ...

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969Sweet Honey in the Rock Sweet Honey in the Rock is an all-woman, African-American a cappella ensemble. They are an American three-time Grammy Award–nominated troupe who express their history as black women through song, dance, and sign language. Originally a four-p ...

Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'' starting in 1985 (season 10). In 1994 she won a Grammy Award f ...

Bill Staines William Russell Staines (February 6, 1947 – December 5, 2021) was an American folk musician and singer-songwriter from New Hampshire who wrote and performed songs with a wide array of subjects. Called "the Woody Guthrie of my generation" by s ...

. * 1987: Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Tom Paxton, Bonnie Raitt,

Johnny Copeland John Clyde Copeland (March 27, 1937 – July 3, 1997) was an American Texas blues guitarist and singer. In 1983, he was named Blues Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation. He is the father of blues singer Shemekia Copeland. In 2017, Co ...

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music i ...

, Alison Krauss, The Bobs, Katie Webster,

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

and

Geoff Muldaur Geoff Muldaur (born August 12, 1943) is an American active singer, guitarist and composer, who was a founding member of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and a member of Paul Butterfield's Better Days. Career Having established a reputation with the Kw ...

, John Sebastian, Patty Larkin, John Hammond, New Grass Revival. * 1988:

Los Lobos Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") are an American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cu ...

Robert Cray Band Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards. Early life Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was statione ...

, Richard Thompson, Taj Mahal,

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Tom Paxton,

Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. While Colvin has been a solo recording artist for decades, she is best known for her 1998 Grammy Award-winning song " Sunny Came Home". Early ...

, Queen Ida,

Artie Artie is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Arthur. Notable people with the given name include: People * Artie Bettles (1891–1971), Australian rules footballer * Artie Butler (born 1942), American popular music arranger, songwrite ...

and

Happy Traum Happy Traum (born Harry Peter Traum, May 9, 1938, The Bronx, New York) is an American folk musician who started playing music in the 1950s and became a stalwart of the Greenwich Village music scene of the 1960s and the Woodstock music scene of t ...

, Doc Watson,

Cheryl Wheeler Cheryl Wheeler (born July 10, 1951) is a Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter of contemporary folk music. She has recorded thirteen folk albums to date and has toured extensively throughout the United States since the mid-1970s. Heralded as a ...

, Patty Larkin. * 1989: Pete Seeger,

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, includin ...

, Odetta, B.B. King,

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, a ...

Leon Redbone Leon Redbone (born Dickran Gobalian; August 26, 1949 – May 30, 2019) was a singer-songwriter and musician specializing in jazz, blues, and Tin Pan Alley classics. Recognized by his hat (often a Panama hat), dark sunglasses, and black tie, Re ...

The Clancy Brothers The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music group that developed initially as a part of the American folk music revival. Most popular during the 1960s, they were famed for their Aran jumper sweaters and are widely credited with popu ...

, John Lee Hooker, Theodore Bikel,

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded ...

Buckwheat Zydeco Stanley Dural Jr. (November 14, 1947 – September 24, 2016), better known by his stage name Buckwheat Zydeco, was an American accordionist and zydeco musician. He was one of the few zydeco artists to achieve mainstream success. His music g ...

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968 ...

, Shawn Colvin, Cheryl Wheeler,

Chris Smither William Christopher Smither (born November 11, 1944) is an American folk/ blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, and modern poets and philosophers. Early life, influences and educa ...

. * 1990: Joan Baez,

Indigo Girls Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part o ...

, Richard Thompson,

The Roches The Roches were an American vocal trio of sisters Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche, from Park Ridge, New Jersey. Career In the late 1960s, eldest sister Maggie (October 26, 1951 – January 21, 2017) and middle sister Terre (pronounced "Terry" ...

with Tower of Power, Ry Cooder and David Lindley (musician), David Lindley, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Robert Earl Keen, Luka Bloom, Flaco Jiménez, The Wild Magnolias with Rebirth Brass Band, Chris Smither, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Christine Lavin. * 1991: John Prine, Randy Newman, Indigo Girls, Richard Thompson, Nanci Griffith, Suzanne Vega, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, The Staple Singers, John Hiatt, Shawn Colvin. * 1992: Four Voices in Harmony (Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Indigo Girls), Loudon Wainwright III, The Band, Bruce Cockburn, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Suzanne Vega, Iris DeMent, Shawn Colvin, Patty Larkin, David Wilcox (American musician), David Wilcox. * 1993: The Band, Peter, Paul & Mary, Mary Chapin Carpenter, John Prine, Indigo Girls, Joan Baez, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Sarah McLachlan, Nanci Griffith, Daniel Lanois, Sweet Honey in the Rock. * 1994: Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention, Randy Newman, Arlo Guthrie, Dar Williams, Michelle Shocked, Iris DeMent. * 1995: Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Indigo Girls, Bill Morrissey, Keb' Mo', John Hiatt, The Jayhawks, Ani DiFranco, Victoria Williams, Wilco (band), Wilco, Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman, Mary Black, Patty Larkin, Cheryl Wheeler, Luka Bloom. * 1996: Indigo Girls, Bruce Cockburn, Lisa Loeb, Ani DiFranco, Joan Armatrading, John Hiatt, Michelle Shocked, Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Patty Larkin, Cheryl Wheeler, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Cordelia's Dad, David Wilcox, Maura O'Connell. * 1997: James Taylor, Little Feat, Joan Baez, John Hiatt, Janis Ian, Violent Femmes, Rosanne Cash, Dar Williams, Richard Shindell,

, Mary Black, Moxy Früvous, Jonatha Brooke. * 1998: Lyle Lovett, Joan Baez, Violent Femmes, Lucinda Williams, Loudon Wainwright III, Marc Cohn, Béla Fleck, Trina Hamlin, Rodney Crowell, David Bromberg. ** 1998 Travelling Festival: The acts above plus The Staple Singers, Wilco, Rickie Lee Jones, John Hiatt, Nanci Griffith. * 1999: Joan Armatrading, Wilco, Indigo Girls, Suzanne Vega, Steve Earle, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Beth Orton, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Earl Keen, Cry Cry Cry, Patty Griffin, Lori McKenna, Mary Black, Stacey Earle, Ray Wylie Hubbard. * 2000: Willie Nelson, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Natalie Merchant, Shawn Colvin, Guy Clark, The String Cheese Incident, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Richard Shindell, Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky, Cheryl Wheeler, John Gorka, Stacey Earle, Peter Rowan. * 2001: Emmylou Harris, Indigo Girls,

and Gillian Welch, Joan Osborne, Mike Doughty, Michelle Shocked, Kelly Willis, Mary Lou Lord, Patty Larkin, David Johansen, Victoria Williams and Mark Olson (musician), Mark Olson, North Mississippi Allstars with Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Robert Randolph and John Medeski, The Flatlanders, Jonatha Brooke, Susan McKeown. * 2002: Bob Dylan, Shawn Colvin, Arlo Guthrie, Dar Williams, Bruce Cockburn, Richard Shindell, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, John Gorka, Maura O'Connell, The Waifs. * 2003: Lyle Lovett, Aimee Mann, John Hiatt, Ani DiFranco, John Prine, Joan Armatrading, Keb' Mo', Angélique Kidjo, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Guy Clark and Joe Ely, Ellis Paul. * 2004: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Rufus Wainwright with Kate McGarrigle, Joan Osborne, Doc Watson, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Dixie Hummingbirds, Garth Hudson and Levon Helm, Lori McKenna, Ron Sexsmith, Mindy Smith, Corey Harris, Laura Cantrell. * 2005: Pixies (band), Pixies, Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Emmylou Harris, Bright Eyes (band), Bright Eyes, Richard Thompson, Odetta, Arlo Guthrie, M. Ward,

, Ray LaMontagne, Patty Griffin, Del McCoury, Teddy Thompson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Béla Fleck, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Jane Siberry, Kaki King, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale. * 2006: David Gray (musician), David Gray, Indigo Girls, Odetta, Rosanne Cash, David Rawlings and Gillian Welch, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Chris Smither, Bettye LaVette, The Meters, Rosalie Sorrels, Sonny Landreth, Keller Williams, The Wood Brothers, Patty Larkin, Ronan Tynan, Cherish the Ladies. * 2007: The Allman Brothers Band, Linda Rondstadt, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Ralph Stanley, John Butler Trio, Martha Wainwright, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Alejandro Escovedo, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Cheryl Wheeler, The Nightwatchman, Amos Lee, Elvis Perkins. * 2008: Brian Wilson, Jimmy Buffett, The Black Crowes, Levon Helm, The Avett Brothers, Cat Power, Jim James, She & Him,

, Trey Anastasio, Jakob Dylan, Steve Earle and Allison Moorer, Stephen Marley (musician), Stephen and Damian Marley, Richie Havens, Gillian Welch, Calexico (band), Calexico, Jesca Hoop, Kaki King, Son Volt, Young@Heart Chorus, Cowboy Junkies. * 2009: Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Gillian Welch, Billy Bragg, Iron & Wine, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Neko Case,

, The Nightwatchman, The Low Anthem, Ben Kweller, Deer Tick, Del McCoury, Langhorne Slim, Elvis Perkins, Brett Dennen, Josh Ritter. * 2010: Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, John Prine, Jim James, Andrew Bird, Brandi Carlile, The Swell Season, Levon Helm, Richie Havens, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Punch Brothers, Sarah Jarosz, Calexico, The Low Anthem, Blitzen Trapper, Justin Townes Earle, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Doc Watson and David Holt (musician), David Holt, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, O'Death, Pokey LaFarge.

Third, non-profit incarnation (2011-present)

* 2011: The Decemberists, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Gillian Welch, Tegan and Sara, Mavis Staples, Earl Scruggs, M. Ward, Gogol Bordello, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Wanda Jackson, The Civil Wars, Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Head and the Heart, Delta Spirit, Pokey LaFarge, Justin Townes Earle, Trampled by Turtles, PS22 Chorus, Amos Lee, The Secret Sisters, Freelance Whales, The Felice Brothers, The Devil Makes Three (band), The Devil Makes Three, Dar Williams, John Gorka, Brown Bird, David Wax Museum, Middle Brother (band), Middle Brother. * 2012:

, Jackson Browne, Conor Oberst, Iron & Wine, Patty Griffin, Arlo Guthrie, Alabama Shakes, The Head and the Heart, Deer Tick, Charles Bradley (singer), Charles Bradley, Tune-Yards, Of Monsters and Men, Sharon Van Etten, Dawes, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Gary Clark Jr., Punch Brothers, Dallas Green (musician), City and Colour, Spirit Family Reunion, The Tallest Man on Earth, Sara Watkins, First Aid Kit (band), First Aid Kit, Tom Morello, Brown Bird, Elizabeth Mitchell (musician), Elizabeth Mitchell, Trampled by Turtles. * 2013: Beck, The Avett Brothers, Feist (singer), Feist, Jim James, Colin Meloy, Andrew Bird, The Mountain Goats, The Lumineers, Father John Misty, Will Oldham, Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Faun Fables, Dawn McCarthy, Jason Isbell, Amanda Palmer, Old Crow Medicine Show, Justin Townes Earle, The Felice Brothers, Beth Orton, Frank Turner, Langhorne Slim, The Low Anthem, Lord Huron, Trombone Shorty, Iris DeMent, Sarah Jarosz, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Shovels & Rope, Phosphorescent (band), Phosphorescent, Elizabeth Mitchell, JD McPherson, The Milk Carton Kids, Black Prairie, Houndmouth. * 2014: Jack White, Ryan Adams, Band of Horses, Jimmy Cliff, Mavis Staples, Jeff Tweedy, Jenny Lewis, Sun Kil Moon, Nickel Creek, Kurt Vile, Conor Oberst, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Robert Hunter (lyricist), Robert Hunter, The Devil Makes Three, Lake Street Dive, Deer Tick, Shovels & Rope, Dawes, Anaïs Mitchell, Lucius (band), Lucius, J Roddy Walston and the Business, Hurray for the Riff Raff, John C. Reilly, Hozier, Shakey Graves, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Lucero (band), Lucero, Valerie June, Reignwolf, Benjamin Booker, Pegi Young, Pokey LaFarge, Aoife O'Donovan, Houndmouth, The Haden Triplets. * 2015:

, James Taylor, The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket,

, Hozier, Sturgill Simpson, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Courtney Barnett, Laura Marling, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Nathaniel Rateliff, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, J Mascis, Jon Batiste, Langhorne Slim, Robyn Hitchcock, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lord Huron, First Aid Kit, Calexico, Brian Fallon, Angel Olsen, Tommy Stinson, Hiss Golden Messenger, Shakey Graves, José González (singer), José González, The Lone Bellow, The Felice Brothers, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, Spirit Family Reunion, The Tallest Man on Earth, Joe Pug. * 2016: Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Alabama Shakes, Ryan Adams, Flight of the Conchords, Graham Nash, Father John Misty, case/lang/veirs, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Violent Femmes, Ray LaMontagne, Frightened Rabbit, Rayland Baxter, Glen Hansard, Del McCoury and David Grisman, The Texas Gentlemen with Joe Ely and Kris Kristofferson, The Arcs, The Strumbellas, John Moreland, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Aoife O'Donovan, Julien Baker, Brian Fallon, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Basia Bulat, Brett Dennen, Fruit Bats (band), Fruit Bats, Raury, Ruby Amanfu, River Whyless, Songhoy Blues, Lady Lamb, Middle Brother. * 2017: Wilco, Fleet Foxes, Regina Spektor, John Prine with Roger Waters and Lucius, Jim James, Drive-By Truckers, Ben Gibbard, The Avett Brothers, Offa Rex (The Decemberists with Olivia Chaney), Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, Rhiannon Giddens, Suzanne Vega, Grandma's Hands Band (Justin Vernon with Natalie Prass, Patterson Hood, and Hiss Golden Messenger), Angel Olsen, Dr. Dog, Hurray For the Riff Raff, Chicano Batman, Margaret Glaspy, Shovels & Rope, Pinegrove (band), Pinegrove, Whitney (band), Whitney, I'm with Her (band), I'm With Her, John Paul White, Big Thief, Mandolin Orange, Michael Kiwanuka, Julia Jacklin. * 2018:

, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit with David Crosby, Jon Batiste and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, The Dap-Kings, St. Vincent (musician), St. Vincent, Margo Price, Cheech & Chong, Courtney Barnett, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Brandi Carlile, Jenny Lewis, Glen Hansard, Gary Clark Jr., Passenger (singer), Passenger, Lucius, Langhorne Slim, Nels Cline, Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam Batmanglij, Rostam, Phoebe Bridgers, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Toots and the Maytals, Nicole Atkins, Fantastic Negrito, Low Cut Connie, Valerie June, The Lone Bellow, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Amanda Shires, Hiss Golden Messenger, JD McPherson, Shakey Graves, Moses Sumney, Tank and the Bangas, Jen Cloher, Tuck & Patti, This Is the Kit, Curtis Harding. * 2019:

, Kacey Musgraves, Trey Anastasio, Sheryl Crow, Portugal. The Man, Kermit the Frog with

and Janet Weiss, Phil Lesh, Jeff Tweedy, Amy Ray, Hozier, Judy Collins, Maggie Rogers, Stephen Marley (musician), Stephen Marley, Lucy Dacus, Dawes, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Haley Heynderickx, Lake Street Dive, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Noname (rapper), Noname, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Benmont Tench, Cedric Burnside, I'm with Her (band), I'm with Her, Todd Snider, Courtney Marie Andrews, Warren Haynes, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Highwomen, Bonny Light Horseman (band), Bonny Light Horseman (Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman (musician), Josh Kaufman), Our Native Daughters (Rhiannon Giddens, Birds of Chicago, Allison Russell, Leyla McCalla, and Amythyst Kiah), The Infamous Stringdusters, The Milk Carton Kids, Parker Millsap, Liz Cooper & The Stampede, Kevin Morby, Mountain Man (band), Mountain Man, John Cohen (musician), John Cohen, Phosphorescent, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, Adia Victoria, Jade Bird, Susto (band), Susto,

, Jupiter Bokondji, Jupiter & Okwess, Charley Crockett, Yola (singer), Yola, Rayland Baxter, J.S. Ondara, Nilüfer Yanya, The Down Hill Strugglers, Ari Hest, Angie McMahon, Erin Rae and the Meanwhiles, Erin Rae. * 2020 Event canceled due to the

. ** Lineup prior to cancelation included The National (band), The National, Randy Newman, Drive-By Truckers, Big Thief, Son Volt, Brittany Howard, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff, Phoebe Bridgers, Andrew Bird, Sharon Van Etten, Grace Potter, Ed O'Brien, Mandy Moore with

and Mike Viola, Sylvan Esso, Black Pumas, The Secret Sisters, Watkins Family Hour, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sampa the Great, Yola, Alexi Murdoch, Delta Spirit, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Daughter of Swords, Puss n Boots, Vagabon, Mandolin Orange, The Marcus King Band, Lee Fields, CAAMP (band), Caamp, Ian Noe, Steve Gunn (musician), Steve Gunn and William Tyler (musician), William Tyler, Early James, Joseph (band), Joseph, Sunny War. * 2021: Beck, Randy Newman, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Po' Girl, Allison Russell with Chaka Khan and Amythyst Kiah, Margo Price, Lucy Dacus, Brothers of a Feather (Chris Robinson (singer), Chris and Rich Robinson) Ben Gibbard, Bleachers (band), Bleachers, Grace Potter, Deer Tick, Lake Street Dive, Sharon Van Etten, Dimmer Twins (Mike Cooley (musician), Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood), Yola with Brandi Carlile, Julien Baker, Fred Armisen,

, Shakey Graves, Langhorne Slim, Courtney Marie Andrews, Bonny Light Horseman, Watchhouse, Joy Oladokun, Middle Brother, Erin Rae with Haley Heynderickx and Hiss Golden Messenger, MC Taylor, Vagabon, Hiss Golden Messenger, Billy Strings, Andrew Bird and Jimbo Mathus, Kevin Morby, The Marcus King Band, Devon Gilfillian, Fruit Bats, Aoife O'Donovan, Natalie Hemby, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Black Joe Lewis, Steve Gunn (musician), Steve Gunn, Emma Swift, CAAMP (band), Caamp, The Head and the Heart, Jonathan Russell, Early James, Katie Pruitt, S.G. Goodman, Yasmin Williams, Celisse, Ida Mae, Sunny War, Tré Burt, Resistance Revival Chorus. * 2022: Brandi Carlile with Joni Mitchell, The National (band), The National, The Roots, Japanese Breakfast, Maren Morris, Lucy Dacus, Dinosaur Jr., Béla Fleck with Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas, Bleachers, Courtney Barnett, Anaïs Mitchell, Lucius, Valerie June, Clairo, American Tune Review (Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats with

, Natalie Merchant, Adia Victoria, Lee Fields, The Silk Road Ensemble, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Lukas Nelson, Marcus Mumford, Lucius, Midlake, and Courtney Marie Andrews) Sylvan Esso, Taj Mahal, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Midlake,

, The Felice Brothers, John Moreland, Arooj Aftab, Joy Oladokun, Silkroad (arts organization)#The Silk Road Ensemble, The Silk Road Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens, Langhorne Slim, Cassandra Jenkins, Black Opry, Black Opry Revue, Goose (American band), Goose, The Linda Lindas, Lee Fields, Adia Victoria, Blake Mills, Phil Cook (musician), Phil Cook's Love Will Go All the Way: A Spiritual Helpline Gospel Revue, CJ Camerieri, Carm, Hannah Georgas, DakhaBrakha,, John Craigie (musician), John Craigie, Madi Diaz, Skullcrusher, Sierra Ferrell, Faye Webster, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Neal Francis, The Dead Tongues, The Ballroom Thieves, Árný Margrét, The Backseat Lovers, Bendigo Fletcher, The A's (Amelia Meath and Daughter of Swords, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig), Buffalo Nichols, Leith Ross.

References

External links

*
Festival Network

* [http://www.wirz.de/music/newport.htm Newport Folk Festival discography]
Newport Folk Festival webcasts at NPR Music

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110724130530/http://wellroundedradio.net/georgewein Well-Rounded Radio's 2010 audio interview with Founder + Producer George Wein] {{Authority control Music festivals in Rhode Island Folk festivals in the United States Tourist attractions in Newport, Rhode Island, Folk Festival Music festivals established in 1959 Performing arts in Rhode Island 1959 establishments in Rhode Island

History

Founding

Civil Rights Movement

Revival of Mississippi John Hurt

Electric Dylan controversy

Johnny Cash Introduces Kris Kristofferson

End of Folk Festival, hiatus and return

Michelle Shocked V-J Day Protest

Return of Bob Dylan

Pixies Go Acoustic

Establishment of Foundation

Turning Point/50th Celebration

65 Revisited

COVID-19 Pandemic

2022: Joni Mitchell surprise appearance

Programming style

Setting

Sustainability

Awards

Albums recorded at the festival

Albums issued by Vanguard Records after the 1963 Newport Folk Festival

Albums issued by Vanguard Records after the 1964 Newport Folk Festival

Festival lineups

First incarnation (1959-1969)

Second incarnation (1985-2010)

Third, non-profit incarnation (2011-present)

See also

References

Further reading

External links