There is a column about Dave Van Ronk written by Christine Lavin in The Washington Post today (Feb.13,2005) titled "Gammy Night, an Elegy for A Folk Hero in which she writes about Dave and his album that is a nominee in the Folk category of The Grammy Awards.

Two excerpts from the column are below with the URL for the full article
at the end.

"The nominated album, titled "And the Tin Pan Bended and the Story Ended," was recorded at Dave's final concert, performed Oct. 22, 2001, at the Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi. Three days before the concert he was diagnosed with colon cancer and scheduled to enter the hospital on Halloween. "Not an auspicious sign," he joked."

"Word had spread quickly throughout the folk music community that Dave was in trouble: no health insurance, no savings. The first check came from Arlo Guthrie. Then one from Janis Ian. At the North East Regional Folk Alliance conference in the Poconos in mid-November, Sonny Ochs, sister of the late songwriter Phil Ochs, passed the hat (well, actually a water pitcher) at each meal, collecting over $2,000 for Dave. Then Allan Pepper organized a benefit concert at his Greenwich Village club, the Bottom Line. Peter, Paul & Mary, Arlo Guthrie and Tom Paxton performed two sold-out shows, which included raffling off autographed acoustic guitars. The event raised $34,000 in a single day."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar ... Feb11.html

At first I was very depressed about Van Ronk not winning. And losing to the songs of Stephen Foster . . .

Then I realized that there's some hope here.

In a coupla hundred years some folksingers will do an album (microchip, whatever) of Van Ronk's songs - and he'll win then!