A Virtual Tribute to Bill Staines | Hosted by the Woodstock Folk Festival | Sunday, February 6, 1 pm/CST

Posted on January 17, 2022 by wff

A Virtual Tribute to Bill Staines hosted by the Woodstock Folk Festival will go public ON THIS PAGE Sunday afternoon, February 6, at 1 pm/CST.

February 6 would have been Bill Staines’ 75th birthday. You can read more about Bill and other performers below.

Please consider a donation in honor of Bill Staines

Donations in honor of Bill Staines may be made to The Staines Family Trust; these funds will be used to cover final expenses and any additional monies will be used to re-press Bill’s out-of-stock CDs:

  • Via regular mail: Please send checks to The Staines Family Trust, Box 292, Dover, NH, 03821
  • Electronically: Use PayPal (paypal.com).
    • When you arrive at the home page, you will have to either log into your own account or sign up.
    • Once you are logged in, select “Send and Request” from the top menu bar.
    • On the next screen, your dialogue box will say “Send Money” by default. If it doesn’t, you can select “Send” from the options just below the top menu bar.
    • In the box below “Send Money,” enter this email address: grnmg80@yahoo.com.
    • A little envelope icon will appear below what you entered with these words to the right of it: “Send to: grnmg80@yahoo.com.” Click on that.
    • If that doesn’t appear for some reason but “Next” does, click on Next.
    • You will arrive at a PayPal screen. Enter your amount and a note if you wish, and click “Continue.”
    • From there, just follow the onscreen instructions to complete your transaction. 

Donations may also be sent to Learning Skills Academy, 1247 Washington Rd #3, Rye, NH 03870.  

Following the Video – Enjoy “Bridges” (Bill Staines) Performed by Judi Jaeger & Bob Reid and Friends

The Woodstock Folk Festival thanks Judi Jaeger and Bob Reid (Jaeger & Reid) for inviting us to share their presentation of Bill Staines’ “Bridges” in conjunction with our Tribute to Bill Staines.

Show your support to our performers

The Festival also encourages you to support the performers who gave their time and talent in this tribute. Please visit their websites for information about their upcoming concerts, CDs, and Patreon or other platforms for donations.

Bill Staines, America’s Quintessential Troubador

Bill Staines - https://acousticmusic.com/staines/

Bill Staines – https://acousticmusic.com/staines/

Through words and music, our virtual tribute honors America’s quintessential troubadour, Bill Staines, who passed away on December 5, 2021.
 
Bill Staines received the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and also performed at a couple of Festival concerts. His songs have been sung by many others and are often used in schools, camps, and song manuals. His children’s book received a Parents’ Choice Award.
 
From his early years playing at coffeehouses in the Boston-Cambridge area in the 1960s to his millions of miles touring and playing at venues throughout the country, Bill wrote and sang songs about the places he visited, the people he met, and the things he encountered. He sang about the diversity of our natural and human worlds, always with appreciation and respect, through songs such as “River,” “A Place in the Choir/All God’s Critters,” “Sweet Wyoming Home,” “Old Pen,” “Rodeo Rose,” and “Roseville Fair.”

Bill’s Final Concert Was At Club Passim with the Passim All-Stars

Among those you will hear at this Tribute are the Passim All-Stars, a “supergroup” of some of the most popular performers at the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These Massachusetts-based artists all began performing at Club Passim in the 1970s, and their November 21, 2021 concert at Club Passim was Bill’s final concert.

The All-Stars include Mason Daring and Jeanie Stahl, who perform throughout New England. Mason is a musician and composer who has written many scores for tv and film, including the music for most of John Sayles’ films. Jeanie’s vocals are featured on the soundtrack of many films and tv shows. Their song “Marblehead Morning,” which Mason wrote, is a classic.

Other Performers for this Tribute to Bill Staines

Billy Novick is a well-known sax and clarinet player who is on the soundtrack to numerous films. He composed a piece specifically for this tribute. In addition to his own playing and composition, he often performs with the New Black Eagle Jazz Band and with Guy Van Duser. – billynovick.com

Guy Van Duser is known for his finger-style guitar playing and frequent appearances on “A Prairie Home Companion”; he teaches at Berklee College of Music.

Stuart Schulman plays numerous instruments in a variety of styles and often accompanied Bill on violin on his albums and with the All-Stars; he also plays with Jonathan Edwards and is on the soundtrack to John Sayles’ Passion Fish.

New York-based Priscilla Herdman is best known for her compelling interpretations of songs by other songwriters including Bill Staines. She was also part of the Herdman, Hills, and Mangsen Trio, which included Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen. – priscillaherdman.com

Illinois-based award-winning singer-songwriter Joe Jencks performs throughout the United States and overseas. His songs such as “Lady of the Harbor” are now part of the folk music lexicon. He was also a founding member of the Brother Sun trio and has performed at the Festival several times. – joejencks.com

New Jersey-based Mara Levine, an outstanding interpreter of songs including those of Bill Staines will be joined by Long Island, New York-based Gathering Time (Stuart Markus and Hillary Foxsong). Since 2006 Gathering Time has been performing originals and songs by others at festivals and other folk venues around the country. They all performed at the 2018 Woodstock Folk Festival. Mara is also a jewelry designer. – maralevine.com, gathering-time.com

Portland, Oregon-based Tom May is the founder and host of the nationally syndicated radio show “River City Folk.” For over 35 years he has interviewed and performed with his guests, including Bill Staines. He also writes songs, performs around the world, and runs a benefit concert for Sisters of the Road in Portland. – tommayfolk.com

Illinois-based but internationally touring singer-songwriters Small Potatoes (Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso) celebrate 30 years of playing and singing together this year. They play a variety of instruments in styles ranging from Celtic to Cowboy. They have traveled and performed with Bill Staines, including at the 2016 Festival. Rich is also editing this tribute. – smallpotatoesmusic.com

Woodstock Folk Festival Sends Its Condolences

The Woodstock Folk Festival sends its deepest condolences to Karen, Bowen, and the rest of Bill’s family and circle of friends. We thank all of you who joined us today in honoring Bill.

Thank you, Bill

Thank you, Bill, for your presence in our lives and the songs you gave us.

Rest in Peace. 

__________

Credits

Performers

Passim All-Stars

Thanks to Mason Daring and Club Passim for allowing the Festival to use clips from Bill’s final performance with the Passim All-Stars on Sunday, November 21, at Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information on Club Passim history and shows, go to passim.org. 

Thanks to Sandra South for photos of the 1995 concert and 2016 Woodstock Folk Festival.

Thanks to the Woodstock Opera House for allowing us to tape a portion of this program there. 

Producer

Carol Obertubbesing

Editor

Rich Prezioso

The Woodstock Folk Festival Board includes Dorothy Biris, Carol Obertubbesing, Julie Roberts, and Jim Young.

__________

Mark your calendars for the 37th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival
Mark your calendars for the 37th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival on Sunday, July 17, 2022; the All-Sing Finale will include a tribute to Bill Staines. The Festival is an entirely volunteer-run 501(c)(3) Illinois non-profit organization, made possible in part by Radio Partners WDCB, WFMT, and WNUR, the City of Woodstock, and Real Woodstock (www.realwoodstock.com).
 
For more information about this year’s Festival and future events
  • Visit our website regularly, www.woodstockfolkfestival.org
  • Follow us on Twitter, @woodstockfolk
  • Like us on Facebook, @woodstockfolkfestival
  • And be sure to sign up for our emails if you haven’t already with the short form in the right column of every page of this site.
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