Jean Ritchie (1922-2015) - Find a Grave Memorial

Musician and singer. Jean Ritchie was the youngest of 14 children born to a farming family in Viper, Kentucky. After graduating college in the late 1940s, she moved to New York, bringing with her the knowledge of over 300 traditional Appalachian songs, such as "Barbara Allen" and "Lord Randall", which were originally brought to this country by immigrants from the British Isles. While working as a social worker at the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, she played these songs for many of the children there. She also wrote many original songs, typically of a political nature, including "Black Waters," a criticism of the practice of strip mining; the latter song has been performed live by musicians including Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, and Michelle Shocked. In the early 1950s, she became a key part of the Greenwich Village folk scene and general mid 20th century folk revival, and began appearing on Oscar Brand's "Folksong Festival" on WNYC radio. In 1955, she published a combined memoir and songbook, in which she described the experience of living in Appalachia and how singing was a central part of life in this part of the United States. By playing a dulcimer in her performances and operating a small dulcimer-making business with her husband, she is credited by the New York Times as being largely responsible for reviving public interest in the instrument. In 1996, the biographical documentary film "Mountain Born: The Jean Ritchie Story," was made for Kentucky Educational Television. She released many recordings, both on major labels and on her own label, Greenhays Recordings. After the death of her husband in 2010, she moved back to Kentucky.

Bio by: Wally