David Mallett has passed. Great songwriter. Mj sang background vocals on one of his albums and covered these songs:
I've Been Around
Little Town
Oranges and Roses
Photographs and Memories



David and MJ in 2013.

Michael with his Hoffman guitar. Charles Hoffman passed a couple dats ago

[img]blob:https://mjblue.com/0236ec78-1af7-4e1d-8d88-f2bb175901a2[/img]

I'm hoping everyone had a Blessed Thanksgiving.
I spent my day with my husband, sister, niece and nephew's.

I need to start decorating for Christmas, where do I find the energy ?
Time to put on my MJ music. I say it again, I sure wish I had caught on
sooner, I would have jumped at the chance to fly to a MJ  concert.

Just wanted to drop in and wish you all a Merry Christmas and send 
You all a virtual hug ?
GOD BLESS ?

https://youtu.be/d1sCjPLjSxU

Raun passed last month. She wrote Circle of Fifths and Lucky Stars. I'll miss her, her messages and Christmas cards. See her bio below.


Raun MacKinnon had the distinction of being one of a tiny handful of folk artists ever recorded by Parkway Records. The youngest of four children born into a musical family, she was raised in Berwyn near Philadelphia, and began singing at an early age, even when she worked as a babysitter (which helped lead one of her charges, Cliff Eberhardt, into a career as a folk singer as well). She learned her first folk songs from her mother, material like "I Know Where I'm Going," and later added Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly to her repertory She played the local folk clubs in Philadelphia and was signed to the Cameo-Parkway label, where she recorded one album, American Folk Songs, with Dick Weissman backing her on guitar and Bill Lee (Spike's father) playing bass. The bulk of the album was made up of new arrangements of traditional songs, augmented by one MacKinnon original, "What Says The Heart." She was best known in the northeast from various performing venues in New York City, and remained popular throughout the '70s and early '80s, appearing at various clubs and showcases. Her song "Circle of Fifths" was covered by Michael Johnson, and in 1985, she appeared on Fast Folk 202 doing an original song called "Amazing Love." She has been a mentor, friend, and confidante of Christine Lavin since the '70s. --ALLMUSIC

Thanks to Mark Spiegel for this.

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

Billy Edd Wheeler also died this year, in September.

He wrote: Winter Sky, Coal Tattoo and Coming of the Roads

Winter Sky

Cindy, I just learned that Milwaukee musician Gil Plotkin passed away in June, at the age of 78.  He was a huge Michael fan, and posted frequently on this page.`

https://youtu.be/ZV2rXQ1x0nI

Thanks to Pete Ward for this.

A YouTube video about Minnesota Music in the 1960's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxs462gXwdY