3 of the Greatest 1960s Folk Musicians to Not Come From the Greenwich Village Folk Scene

What do Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Simon & Garfunkel all have in common? They all emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s and went on to have some of the most illustrious careers in not just the history of the genre, but in the history of music. However, that wasn’t the only location where great folk talent was arising during the decade. That being so, here are three of the greatest 1960s folk musicians to not come from the Greenwich Village folk scene.

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Jackson C. Frank

We’ve written about Jackson C. Frank quite a bit, and we always hold him and his legacy in a highly revered light, as he just might be the most underrated folk singer of the 1960s. Frank, who could play with the best of them, found his footing in the business with the release of his one and only album, produced by Paul Simon. However, before that, he was just another folk singer looking for a place to play.

Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Frank easily could have taken part in the Village folk scene. Although he made his way across the pond and became a prominent figure in the London folk scene. Following his one album, Frank’s career was cut short due to severe personal trauma and mental health issues.

Yusuf Islam(Formerly, Cat Stevens)

Yusuf Islam was a major folk player in the 1970s thanks to international hits such as “Wild World,” “Peace Train,” and “Morning Has Broken”. Although before the masses knew of him, Stevens played his way through songwriting scenes in London during the 1960s. By the mid 60s, Islam found fame after the release of his debut album Matthew And Son.

Born in London, Islam seemingly didn’t have to travel far to get his start, as he was discovered by producer Mike Hurst after playing a couple of songs in a coffee shop in London. Following Hurst’s discovery, Islam released his first hit single, “I Love My Dog”, in 1966.

Townes Van Zandt

What else do we have to say about Townes Van Zandt that hasn’t already been said? Frankly, not a whole lot, as any other comments about Van Zandt’s talent just might be superfluous. Regardless, Van Zandt got his start in two places, more or less.

Before his break in the late 1960s, Van Zandt honed his craft by playing in dives in Houston, Texas. However, when country music legend Mickey Newbury scored Van Zandt a record deal, the iconic songwriter headed up to Tennessee and recorded his first-ever album with Cowboy Jack Clement right outside of Nashville.

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