Product Code Database
Mary McCaslin (December 22, 1946 – October 2, 2022) was an American folk singer who wrote, recorded, and performed contemporary folk music.
She recorded primarily for Philo Records, and traveled and performed with her husband, Arkansas folk singer Jim Ringer. Her music ranged from ballads of the old west to her own songs of the new west and modern times. She was regarded as a pioneer of open guitar tunings, and known for her distinctive vocal style. Her influences can be heard in many younger folk performers, and she set the path for future folk-pop stars Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin Carpenter.Richie Unterberger9780879304751, Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879304751
In 1969, she released a cover version of the The Supremes’ hit “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.” According to New York Times: “transforms the tune from an urban teen-oriented lament into a mountain-flavored folk song of quiet, adult desperation.”
Her musical development was influenced by the western ballads of Marty Robbins, the guitar playing of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, the singing and banjo playing of Hedy West, and the vocal inflections of the Beatles and the Bee Gees. Writing of McCaslin's Way Out West LP, Robert Christgau said in (1981), "Without self-dramatization—she favors plain melodies and commonplace imagery and her singing is gamely unhistrionic—this woman explores Joni Mitchell's territory with equal intelligence, more charm, and no drums."Robert Christgau (1981). 089919026X, Ticknor & Fields. 089919026X
Her songs have been recorded by Tom Russell, Bill Staines, Gretchen Peters, David Bromberg, Kate Wolf, Stan Rogers, and Còig. The Grand Canyon Railroad used her song "Last Cannonball" for its promotional television ad.
McCaslin was busy with family matters for most of the 1980s, finally releasing a new album, Broken Promises, in 1994. She suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological condition that can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing. She died from PSP in Hemet, California on October 2, 2022, at the age of 75.
|
|
