WHAT I SING

I am basically a ballad-singer who has learned enough guitar-plunking not  to have to be dependent on the kindness of strangers. I sing whatever strikes my fancy. Criteria for fancy-striking seem to be a combination of a good story and an interesting tune.  

I am of the generation of singers who, the first song we practiced the chords to when we got our first guitars was "Puff the Magic Dragon. "The first song I can consciously recall learning was "How Much is That Doggy in the Window".  I also warbled along with Jo Stafford ("Shrimpboats"), Doris Day ("Secret Love") and Hank Williams ("Kawliga") around that time. Does this date me too conspicuously?

WHERE I SING

Science Fiction conventions, mostly, these days. I've dropped in and out on the local Folk music scene for 20+ years now, but have rarely found a venue that doesn't react poorly when I toss in a filk song. At SF filks, by contrast, I can sing anything I feel like, presuming the general mood is appropriate. I tried busking in the local Farmers' Market durng the warm months. Made a whole $15 over the course of the summer. One exception to the filk-aversive venues was Studio Joe. This was a coffeehouse which operated for a couple of years in Little Rock. The owner and chief sound man were both crypto-fans. Since moving to Mississippi I haven't found a regular local outlet for my musical leanings except at family Christmas gatherings.

WHO I SING

Joe Bethancourt / Christmas-season songs / Julia Ecklar / Leslie Fish / Martha Keller / Rudyard Kipling / Michael Longcor / Peter, Paul, and Mary / Stan Rogers / Pete Seeger / Simon and Garfunkel / Fred Small / Tom Smith / Hank Williams / and "one-hit wonders" too numerous to recall.

I've actually recorded a CD of songs about literary and legendary characters ranging from Gilgamesh to Harry Potter [with side-trips to Roadrunner/Coyote and the Three Little Pigs].