We often take the treasures that surround us for granted. Those of us who grew up during and after the folk revival have a songbag full of great music. In 2007 we are able to listen to thousands of “traditional” and “contemporary” songs through a variety of media. Using the Internet, we can not only listen to the music but also discover the rich history of the song.

It is easy to forget that this material was collected, preserved and perpetuated. Folk music is different from popular music. While we may think of certain songs as common and passed down through a collective conscious, that really isn’t the case. Many of the songs that are familiar to us in 2007 are the results of hard working collectors who spent countless hours traveling the country in search of these songs. As THEIR work became known, we have been able to share their bounty and enrich our own lives.

Sandy Paton was born on January 22, 1929. Due to his father’s work in the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Sandy’s family moved quite a bit. Sandy eventually found himself in Washington D.C. where he studied art, but the classroom wasn’t for him and soon he was in Seattle where he continued to paint and also took up acting. While in Seattle during the late 1940’s, Sandy was introduced to folk music and became enamored with the style.

During the 1950’s Sandy traveled the country playing guitar, and in 1957 he was in Berkeley, California when he met the woman who would become his wife, Caroline. The couple would travel to England where Sandy performed in clubs and coffeehouses. They also recorded as a couple as well as some solo recordings from Sandy. Their interest in folk music continued to grow, and they became friends with noted collectors Hamish Henderson and Jeanie Robertson. The Patons were on their own journey collecting and learning folk songs.

They returned to the United States and Sandy continued to perform and record. Caroline would sing with Sandy, but she was raising the couples two boys. Sandy also felt the responsibility of raising his family and settled down to a “real” job in Chicago. He began working in a record department of a Chicago department store, where he introduced and began selling commercially released folk recordings.

The life the couple were leading in the Chicago area was nice, but they wanted more for their family. After vacationing with friends in Burlington, Vermont during the summer of 1961, the Patons decided to pack up and move to New England.

Sandy also took some time to go on a collecting trip to the Appalachians where he collected and recorded songs from Frank Profitt (the source of “Tom Dooley“) and Horton Barker. Sandy played these recordings for a folk music friend they met in Chicago, Lee Haggerty. Lee was impressed by the recordings and suggested that they form a record company to release their own LP’s of traditional music. With financial backing from Lee and his sister, the Folk Legacy label was created.

Folk Legacy Records first release came in 1961 “Frank Proffitt, of Reese, North Carolina“. The company, now located in Sharon, CT, is still issuing new recordings as well as keeping the original catalog alive on CD. Many of the releases were field recordings such as the ones Sandy collected from Frank Proffitt and Horton Barker. The cornerstone for Folk Legacy has been the preservation of traditional music, but they also provided a home for a number of songwriters who shared a passion for the tradition. The list of artists who have recorded for Folk Legacy include Rosalie Sorrels, Gordon Bok, Art Thieme, Joe Hickerson, Bill Staines, Jean Redpath, Michael Cooney and many others.

Over the years, that Patons have continued to make music and performing with their family at festivals and events in New England. They were also named Connecticut’s “Official State Troubadours” in 1993.

In an age where “number of units sold” seems to dictate what and how music is made available, it is refreshing to see a company that looks at quality and maintains a vision for the future. Lee Haggerty passed away in 2000, but Folk Legacy continues to be operated with a hands on approach by Sandy and Caroline and their children. Their hard work, reputation for quality, and ability to share their music has created a unique recording label. We are grateful. Please visit their website at www.folk-legacy.com .

Please join me in wishing a very happy birthday to Sandy Paton, who in addition to being a “folk icon” is one of the nicest people you will ever meet!