Jean Ritchie

The Profile

Jean Ritchie (1922–2015) was an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player from Viper, Kentucky. A key figure in the folk revival and a noted folklorist, she preserved and shared traditional mountain songs, famously associated with “Nottamun Town.” She collected and researched songs in the U.S. and the U.K. and was widely known as the “Mother of Folk.”

From the review: first to record “Nottamun Town,” added two verses inspired by a vision, renowned for a crystalline voice and dulcimer, Kentucky/Appalachian roots, research travels to England. Publicly known: American folk singer and folklorist; active from the 1940s–2000s; born in Kentucky; known as the “Mother of Folk.”

A lyrical, memory-soaked take on Jean Ritchie’s Nottamun Town, set against Kentucky summers and Appalachian lore. The review highlights Ritchie’s research travels to England, her taboo-tinged fascination with the song’s meaning, and notes she added two verses. It praises her crystalline voice and dulcimer, calling her the “mother of folk.”