In honor of Pride Month, the Mattapoisett Museum on 5 Church Street invites the public on Thursday, June 13 at 7:00 pm to celebrate the life and legacy of New Bedford’s own Paul Clayton and his influence on the folk music scene of the 1950’s and early 60’s in Greenwich Village.
This program, Remembering the Songman of New Bedford, will explore Clayton’s life through musical performances and historical narrative by Tom Goux, Dan Lanier, Butch McCarthy, Neal McCarthy, Seth Asser, Gary Brown and MaryBeth Soares. Almost 60 years after his death, Paul Clayton’s ghost continues to hover over American folk music. The man whom Bob Dylan once described as a “medium” that channeled the very essence of traditional songs from the sea and the mountains, and whom Dave Van Ronk acknowledged was an important “influence” on both Dylan and himself, was born right down the road in New Bedford in 1931.
Clayton was a performer, a collector and a field recorder of traditional folks songs and openly gay. From 1956-1961 he was the most recorded young folk singer in America. He brought hundreds of obscure folk ballads and songs into the American music scene. Praised by many superstars to come out of the entire folk musical era now gone, Clayton is a national treasure. This presentation will help to shed light on how the history of the whaling culture in our area influenced a young man to pursue his interest and passion for folk music.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Mattapoisett Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Registration is required at www.mattapoisettmuseum.org/events.
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