Song of the Day 12/12: Bill Staines, “River”

Guest post by Mike Dinsmore

Three million miles. Enough miles to go around our planet 120 times. That’s how many miles folksinger Bill Staines traveled in a career that spanned over five decades.

Staines, who died last Sunday at 74 of an aggressive form of prostate cancer, was the consummate performer and traveler, playing over 200 gigs a year in folk clubs, church halls, and people’s living rooms. He was never a flamboyant singer – his concerts and songs were simple and down to earth. Staines usually performed solo, accompanied by just a guitar.

That guitar style was unique. Staines was left-handed, but played a right-handed guitar upside down, with the bass strings on the bottom.

In the world of folk music, Bill Staines was one of a kind. His songs appealed to people of all ages. The songs told of people and places, simply sung, with easy choruses that audiences could feel comfortable singing. Staines released 26 albums over his career, and his songs have been recorded by dozens of other artists. Years ago, I was surprised, although I shouldn’t have been, to hear his songs being sung in Scottish folk clubs.

Bill Staines appeared in Delaware a couple of times over the years for the Green Willow Folk Club. People came from as far away as Baltimore to see him in concert. His concerts here, like his concerts all across the U.S., were very well attended. Staines was one of a very few folk musicians who could play the same venue twice in a year and get a sellout audience each time.

In addition to his singing and songwriting, Staines was also a National Champion yodeler, having won that title in 1975. He incorporated yodeling into several of his songs on his early albums.

Nanci Griffith, who we also lost this year, has one of my favorite quotes about Bill Staines: “He carries on where Woody left off — carrying on the tradition of stories and characters you wish you knew.” She recorded “Roseville Fair” in 1984 and helped bring him to a wider audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1lnNNXcBr4

Staines recorded several albums of children’s music, and A Place in the Choir might be his most popular song. The youngsters would bring stuffed animals to Bill’s concerts, and wave them as the appropriate animal was mentioned in the lyrics.

Bill Staines left us with a great legacy of song. Folk music has lost one of the last of the troubadors. It is an honor to have known him.