Volume 16 , Issue 5

Newport Folk Festival (1959-1965)

The Newport Folk Festival was an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival. The festival featured performances by folk, blues, country, bluegrass and folk rock musicians, and since the 1990s has featured performers from related contemporary genres, such as alternative country, indie folk and folk punk.

The Folk Festival was founded in 1959 by George Wein, founder of the already well established Newport Jazz Festival, backed by its original board: Theodore Bikel, Oscar Brand, Pete Seeger and Albert Grossman.

The festival was renowned for introducing to a national audience a number of performers who went on to become major stars, most notably Joan Baez by her appearance as an unannounced guest of Bob Gibson in 1959, and Bob Dylan, in turn a guest of Baez at the 1963 festival. Newport was not strictly limited to folk performers. In the 1960s, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf were featured. Jose Feliciano debuted in 1964. The festival also included many musicians from the pre-World War II country blues era who served to influence the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s.

The festival in its initial guise ran from 1959 to 1970, with no festivals scheduled in 1961 or 1962. Many of the concerts have provided a rich source of recordings. Murray Lerner directed the 1967 film Festival based on the 1963-1965 festivals.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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