In Memoriam: Fred Neil Plus A Bit Of Bluegrass

10 p.m. to Midnight Host: Steve Winters

Another death in this year 2001 in the family of folk: Fred Neil, an influential musician in the 1960s Greenwich Village folk revival, died July 7 in Florida at age 64.

Neil is best known for his song "Everybody's Talkin'" which was used as the theme of the film "Midnight Cowboy" and was recorded in 1969 by Harry Nilsson and became a pop hit. But it was Neil's influence on many performers involved in the Village scene in the 1960s that may be his major contribution to folk and acoustic music. As one critic put it, Neil, with his rich baritone voice, probably was the best vocalist of the era. He was looked upon as a hero and a guru to many performers despite a reclusive nature that saw him drop out of the music scene in the early 1970s after making just four albums. From that time until his death, he resided in Florida and worked with The Dolphin Project, a non-profit organization he helped found in 1970 that was dedicated to stopping the trafficking in and exploitation of dolphins. He wrote a soundtrack in 2000 for one of the group's videos.

We devoted the second hour to the upcoming Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, including ticket giveaways to that festival as well as several others coming up on the East Coast.

  • Artist, "Title", Album, Label

  • Bill Keith, Farewell Blues, Something .. Bluegrass, Rounder

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  • Fred Neil, Bleecker & MacDougal, Blues On The Ceiling, Other Side To This Life, A Little Bit Of Rain, Bleecker & MacDougal, Elektra

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  • Fred Neil & Vince Martin, Tear Down The Walls, Troubadours Of The Folk Era, Vol. 2, Rhino

  • Fred Neil & Vince Martin, Badi-Da, Other Side Of The Life, Capitol

  • Fred Neil, Everybody's Talkin', Fred Neil, Capitol

  • Fred Neil, The Dolphins, Other Side Of This Life, Capitol

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  • Fred Neil, Send Me Someone To Love, Sessions, Capitol

  • Fred Neil, That's The Bag I'm In, Sweet Cocaine, Everybody's Talkin', Other Side Of Life, Capitol

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  • Spencer Bohren, Blues On The Ceiling, Vintage, New Blues

  • Billy Bragg, The Dolphins, Don't Try This At Home, Elektra

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  • Old & In The Way, The Hobo Song, Midnight Moonlight, Wild Horses, Old & In The Way, Rykodisc

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  • Bill Keith, No Expectations, I'll Stay Around, Crazy Creek, Something Bluegrass, Rounder

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  • Claire Lynch, Love Light, Missionary Ridge, Keep My Love There, Love Light, Rounder

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  • The Whites, Fair And Tender Ladies, How Many Moons?, The Cowboy Lives Forever, A Lifetime In The Making, Ceili Music