The Newport Folk Festival Reaches Out To Bruce

Written By Mike Greenblatt
Bruce Springsteen

It’s been 67 years and counting for the prestigious Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. Founded by folksingers Theodore Bikel, Oscar Brand and Pete Seeger, with promoter George Wein, the 1959 inaugural event featured Seeger’s band The Weavers, Earl Scruggs, The Kingston Trio, Odetta, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, The New Lost City Ramblers and Bob Gibson, who brought out an 18-year old unknown, Joan Baez.

Over the years, it has been a lightning rod of political protest, and a bellwether of trends like the 1960s college folk boom that revived the career of Mississippi John Hurt (who had quit music to farm). It was the scene when Dylan went electric in 1965 and freaked out the folk purists so much that Pete Seeger threatened to literally pull the plug. It was also on the Newport stage when Johnny Cash first introduced a shy poet named Kris Kristofferson.

Executive Producer Jay Sweet and host Devon Gilfillian have been responsible for the latest twist in the fest’s long-standing cultural DNA, “Sea to Shining Sea,” an interview segment. They interviewed Bruce Springsteen recently and you can watch the entire spot below.

Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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