Bob Gibson

About

American folk singer, songwriter and musician who helped lead a folk music revival in late 1950s-early 1960s. Born November 16, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Died September 28, 1996 in Portland, Oregon, USA. Gibson was known for playing both the banjo and the 12-string guitar. He introduced a then largely unknown Joan Baez at the Newport Folk Festival of 1959. He produced a number of LPs in the decade from 1956-1965. His best known album, Gibson & Camp at the Gate of Horn, was released in 1961. His songs have been recorded by, among others, Peter, Paul and Mary, Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Smothers Brothers, and The Kingston Trio. His career was interrupted by his addiction to drugs. After getting sober in 1978, he attempted a comeback, but the musical scene had changed and his traditional style of folk music was out of favor with young audiences. He did, however, continue his artistic career with albums, musicals, plays, and television performances. In 1993 he was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), of which he died 3 years later.