The incredible and influential folksinger, Bill Staines died this past week, bringing tears of fond memories to my eyes when I got the news. I've been singing his songs in our local song circles for 40 years now, so I decided to again share my 2015 Song of the Soul interview with you, today, in homage of a wonderful man and musician.

Cheryl Prashker is a talented musician with wide and deep skills, particularly on the drums, but she especially has a heart of gold and bestows endless blessings on all around her. Besides performing decades ago with a back called CC RailRoad, she performs currently with a Celtic-based band called Runa.

Tom Neilson is a folk singer's folk singer, using his songs to bring you all the news and issues that are of vital importance to the physical and ethical well-being of Americans but which get short-shrift in mainstream media. It's not a surprise at all that Just Plain Folks International gave Tom awards this year for best Traditional Folk Album & best Social Commentary album.

Heather Pierson fell in love with music & the piano at a tender age, growing into singing in choirs & playing the guitar along the way. Music of all sorts of genres are her spirit & lifeblood. She was a part of Garajh Mahal, doing progressive rock, then with the country-leaning North Atlantic Band.

Bonnie Koloc was a major presence in music, especially folk music, on the Chicago scene in the early 1970's, along with John Prine and Steve Goodman, one of the big 3 folk musicians there. She was a constant presence on the stage in those years, churning out 4 albums in 4 years, singing not only folk but jazz and blues. Eventually she wondered away from Chicago, including stints with other forms of art, like musical theater and visual art.

Judi Jaeger grew up in Canada, but moved to the USA decades ago and became a US citizen. Considering her early passion for and proficiency in music, it's surprising that she completely abandoned that side of her soul for about 25 years, while studying and working as a lawyer, and as a parent.

Who do you know who speaks at least 3 languages, has lived in several countries, performed between Renaissance Fairs year-round for 10 years, writes & sings profoundly deep & moving songs, and can play the harp & the 12-string guitar simultaneously? Ariane Lydon and no one else (to my knowlege)! Living in the Midwest for a couple decades now, Ariane brings a world of beautiful music to our land.

Marci Geller can be sweet, has a gift of poetry & melody, sings and writes beautifully, but most of all she weaves a web of magic and inclusion through her music, taking us on a journey of both depth and elevation.

Autumn Sky Hall is an amazing and astounding - and young - folk/Americana singer/songwriter hailing from Sacramento, CA, complete with an enchanting & versatile voice, dancing guitar fingers, and emotionally compelling lyrics. Autumn pours her inner experience and growth through her songs so that to hear her is to know her and the human condition better.

Leslie Smith has shined as part of all the great folk locales, the Newport, Kerrville, and South By Southwest music festivals, and her songs have been done by many folk-greats, like Lucy Kaplansky and Dar Williams, although I think they are best out of Leslie's own mouth and guitar. Along the way to now she did a stint as part of a New York bluegrass band called Arabesque, but then she headed back to Pittsburgh, back to her center.