On the evening of February 7, hammered dulcimer master Bill Spence passed away, surrounded by his loving family. He was 78 years old, and I would be doing him a major discredit if I limit the description of his accomplishments in that lifetime to just “hammered dulcimer master.” He was so much more – a wonderful singer blessed with a warm and welcoming voice; a photographer with an eye for catching the beauty of our folk community and often the absurdity of it all; an audio engineer and producer; a co-founder of Old Songs, Inc.; an audio visual and computer graphics specialist; a lover of nature and probably above all, Bill had an infectious energy and an incredible sense of humor. Many of his friends remarked on how Bill showed them how not to take life so seriously but still strive to be the best at whatever you wish to accomplish. I know that to be true as it perfectly describes what I was lucky to learn from my own friendship with Bill.

Like many people of my generation, my first knowledge of Bill came from an LP that was issued back in 1973 called The Hammered Dulcimer. Before discovering that album a few years after it was released, I had heard Bill’s music when a cut from the album was used as theme music for the Public Television series Crockett’s Victory Garden. The lovely strains of the “Gaspe Reel” and “Fiddle Head Reel” caught my ear when I watched the show. My love of gardening was the first reason I watched the show, but those tunes quickly became part of the soundtrack to my life.

William “Bill” Spence was born in 1940 in Iowa City, Iowa. Bill would note that his interest in Celtic music came from having Irish, Scottish and Scandinavian parents and grandparents. Growing up during the early days of the folk revival, Bill formed a skiffle band while in high school and played for community organizations and dances. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1962 with a BA in communications and went on to serve in the U.S. Army Security Agency from 1962 to 1965. Bill often shared photographs on his Facebook page from his days in the service. I remember one picture of his trio We Three playing guitars and banjos in their barracks in Peshwar, Pakistan back in 1963.

After returning home from the Army, he took a position at the State University of New York at Albany and with his wife Andy, they settled into the New York Capitol region and became immersed in the vibrant folk scene. Bill and Andy were fixtures at the legendary Fox Hollow Festival in Petersburg, New York. Andy first worked with festival host Bob Beers as a supervisor for some events and eventually took take over the operation following Bob’s untimely death. Inspired by the community that gathered annually at Fox Hollow, Bill and Andy created Old Songs, Inc , a year-round folk society located in Voorheesville, NY that continues to this day and runs the annual Old Songs Festival in neighboring Altamont.

Bill’s love of the hammered dulcimer grew out of a meeting with Howie Mitchell at the 1969 Fox Hollow Festival. This new found love for the instrument a year later would lead Bill to form a string band with other Albany area musicians who were part of another organization known as The Pick’n’ and Sing’ n’ Gather’n. Bill began exchanging tips and playing techniques from Howie, Malcolm Daglish, Jay Round and John McCutcheon.

His interest with the hammered dulcimer bore fruit in 1973 when Bill and the Fennig’s All-Star String Band recorded their first album in the Spence living room on a 2-track machine. The original group featured Tom McCreesh on fiddle, John Pedersen on banjo, Joan Pelton on piano and Bill on the hammered dulcimer. Prior to its release, there were very limited recordings of the hammered dulcimer available. This home recording, simply titled The Hammered Dulcimer, would become a seminal album and be the inspiration for new generations of hammered dulcimer enthusiasts. Crockett’s Victory Garden producers started using the tunes shortly after the release. Stereo Review listed the album as a “Recording of Special Merit” and the attention and excellent music on the album made it a success. To date, there are over 100,000 copies sold on either LP or CD.

The success of the album gave a jump start to Front Hall Records, with Andy Spence as the founder and proprietor and Bill working as engineer and producer for many of the albums. The label would give us classic recordings from artist like Michael Cooney, Louis Killen, John McCutcheon, John Roberts & Tony Barrand, Margaret MacArthur and many others.

Bill Spence and the Fennig’s All-Star String Band toured the east coast from 1973 through 1978 playing concerts and contra dances. Andy would book the group and be the caller at the dances. The group had a few lineup changes over the years, Toby Stover joined in 1975 and fiddler George Wilson came on board in 1977. Bill and Fennig’s All-Star String Band would record five additional albums – Saturday Night in the Provinces in 1975, The Hammered Dulcimer Strikes Again in 1977, Fennigmania in 1981, The Hammered Dulcimer Returns in 1992 and in 2018 The Hammered Dulcimer Rides Again – subtitled “Night of the Living Son of the Daughter of the Bride of the Hammered Dulcimer”.

“I joined his band when I was only 22 years old, barely entering adulthood” noted Toby Stover. “I have passed every phase of life with Bill in it.”

Through the years, Bill and the group created joyous music. In the liner notes to The Hammered Dulcimer, Bill wrote “For me, playing the hammered dulcimer is like eating cashews…once you start, it’s very hard to stop.” As a radio host, I would add, once you start listening to the hammered dulcimer, it is also hard to stop!

“In all of my life, I’ve never met a person quite like Bill” Toby Stover proclaimed. “He was a very skilled and sensitive musician. He lived life to the fullest and never held back from following his passions.”

Bill Spence’s passions were many. Aside from the accomplishments I listed in the first paragraph, his love of life and amazing sense of humor are what endeared him to so many people and will continue to inspire now that he no longer is with us. If you attended the Old Songs Festival over the years, you would see Bill wearing some of the most colorful Hawaiian shirts ever produced, headgear that was either a pith helmet or a sparkly baseball cap, and brightly colored print socks – neither matching. He usually had his camera around his neck, stopping periodically to capture some magic moment.

I found him to have a wonderful humility while also taking great pride in what he created. When I saw him at the 2018 festival, he rushed up to me and asked if I would like a copy of the newly released CD. He was so proud to record with Fennig’s again, the first time since 1993. The recording The Hammered Dulcimer Rides Again is a true celebration of the band and Bill. A two CD set featuring 9 medleys and 8 songs on the first CD and a second CD with 15 pieces from older recordings that were never issued on CD. Bill was pleased with the way the recording turned out and was eager to make sure I had a copy (I did, it was my first purchase in the merchandise barn!). I don’t think anyone suspected it would be the last recording from Bill, he seemed so full of energy and enthusiasm that I was expecting more great music to come.

I once remarked to him that my first stop at Old Songs each year was to review the wonderful display of his photos that was set up near the main gate at the festival. His photos captured both the history and the essence of the event that has made this annual gathering such an enriching experience. I asked him why he doesn’t publish a book of these photos as it tells the history of not only Old Songs but of the folk music community over the last few decades. He brushed off the suggestion and proceeded to ask me if I would like to see a picture of his pride and joy, and he then pulled a photo of two bottles of dish washing liquid. That was Bill.

“He loved to laugh and laughed often” Toby added. “I have never laughed more with any human being in my life, than with Bill Spence! Fun was the name of the game! His wife, Andy was wonderfully supportive and very creative herself. So is their daughter, Hannah who is a very skilled musician.The Spence household was filled with laughter and creativity! Bill was also a lover of animals and nature. He was so kind and friendly. He’s at the top of the list of the worlds very positive people, yet when he was displeased, he would let you know!”

Bill’s sense of humor touched all people that he met, and I never heard an unkind word spoken about him.

“Bill Spence was a gracious man with an occasionally surreal sense of humor. Absurdist quips were a tool of transformation in his hand” noted singer-songwriter Joe Jencks in a recent message to his fans. “He could uplift, console, inspire, encourage, all with a brief bit of humor and levity.”

Joe has been a frequent performer and emcee at the Old Songs Festival in recent years, performing as a solo artist and as a member of Brother Sun, the acclaimed trio that is now on hiatus. Bill became a friend and a father figure of sorts to Joe.

“What strikes me most about Bill however is his kindness, and the lessons to be learned from his leadership by example” Joe remarked. “Bill was the sort of person who could walk into a room and immediately make people feel more welcome, even when he was the guest. Always happy to share the spotlight, equally willing to pick up a broom after the show and sweep the floor. A man who showed his respect, devotion, and love by being of service. My own father was very much that way.”

“I must add that I saw Bill’s ire rise on a number of occasions” Joe added. “He was human and opinionated, occasionally impatient. But his default setting was to be kind. That is a choice. And it is a choice we can all make … I will remember him in my music and with colleagues and friends. But I will remember him most as I continue to aspire toward letting graciousness and kindness BE the center of how I relate to the people around me. I will carry his way of being forward in my life more than his accomplishments. Because HOW we are in the world seems to have a bigger impact than who we are in the world.”

Bill truly was a complex man. People often lightly throw out the word “genius”, but in Bill’s case I think it is true. He wore many hats (often colorful!) and he embraced life. Due to the distance we lived from each other, I only had the chance to see him at Old Songs or an occasional music conference but he always greeted me with a smile and joke. We would enchange e-mails and messages from time to time, sometimes comparing bird pictures from our respective feeders and he would also send me corrections when he saw a typo or grammatical error in my column. (Sorry Bill, I can imagine you are proofreading this from up above and I hope I did not get anything wrong!) There truly was a twinkle in his eye, and I can’t imagine Old Songs without him. Yet, Bill was realistic. The encouragement that he gave musicians like Toby and Joe and hundreds of others helped sustain and perpetuate our folk community. The remarkable work that Andy and Bill have done with Old Songs, and the many volunteers that continue their work is a testament to two remarkable lives.

Bill will always be present at Old Songs and wherever music lovers gather. To honor his spirit, I plan on digging out my most colorful Hawaiian shirts to wear at this years festival, and maybe some unmatched socks. Bill’s spirit will endure, and myself and others will do our best to live up the example he gave. Rest in peace Bill, yours was a life well lived.

Bill Spence is survived by Andy Spence, his wife of 57 years, his daughter Hannah and her partner Neil Parsons as well as two nieces and a nephew – plus countless friends and fans who will always carry his spirit in their hearts. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Old Songs, Inc., PO Box 466, Voorheesville, NY 12186 (https://oldsongs.org/support/). A memorial celebration of his life is being planned for Sunday September 15. To receive information about the memorial, please join the mailing list: https://tinyurl.com/BillSpence.