Plank Road Folk Music Society

Autumn - October, 2026 www.plankroad.org

Fox Valley Festival 2026

Two days of great music on multiple stages, plus jam sessions, storytelling, workshops, food, arts and crafts . . . and beautiful weather!

Jam sessions near the Plank Road tent were popular, with many folks stopping by to sing, play or just listen.

Folks checked out our flyers and merchandise — or just stopped by to say "hello" and learn about Plank Road.

Phil Segrest came very prepared with a multitude of stringed instruments!

Plank Road began each morning with a performance of folk, country and old-time music, provided by several members of our board of directors and string band.

Bob O'Hanlon introduced Plank Road and kicked off the morning sessions.

Photos from the Festival, provided by Official Event Photographer Jen Shilt, plus Linda Heinsohn and Bill Lemos. 

As always, there were many Plank Road volunteers helping throughout the 2-day event, including these fine folks . . .

- Dave Humphreys - Gary Blankenship

- Jen Shilt - Kristen Fuller - Bob Cordova

- Joe Schumacher - Pam Schumacher -

- Ron Leaneagh - Joel Simpson - Jennifer Ashley

- Neil Potter

And of course festival director Cheryl Joyal, who once again, after many months of preparation, pulled off another successful event!

Apologies if we missed anyone!

The NEW Plank Road Store is open!

We’re excited to announce the opening of our new online Plank Road merchandise store! Lots of new and exclusive items for you to choose from!

Show your support for Plank Road Folk Music Society and help spread the word about our programs and who we are by wearing our premium apparel and other Plank Road branded gear.

• New apparel including sweatshirts and seasonal outerwear
• Styles and sizes for men, women and kids
• Many colors available
• Plus new accessory items!

Every item is sold at cost plus 5% to help cover operating expenses.

Just go to our online store, view the items, and place your order. Items are shipped promptly, directly to your home.

Scan this QR code, or click here Plank Road Merchandise Store to access the Plank Road Store. Check it out!

Ken Lagerstrom

Long-time Plank Road member and supporter Ken Lagerstrom passed away in July, at the age of 81.

Ken was a folk singer. For years he and his wife Pat regularly attended our Saturday sing-arounds, our annual Log Cabin parties and Christmas sing-arounds.

Ken also attended Two Way Street Coffeehouse events, concerts at the Old Quarter Coffeehouse, informal get-togethers, and the annual Fox Valley Folk Festival. He religiously listened to the Midnight Special on WFMT, especially the New Year’s Eve show, and learned “a lot of great folk songs there which he shared with friends and family.”

His daughters, Jill and Katie, said his deep bass voice and “folkie guitar playing” were resonant with every song he sang, and “his great laugh could be heard from a long distance — performers were happy to have him in their audiences.”

Ken was born in Chicago and grew up in Brookfield, where he spent most of his life. He attended North Park College where he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and held multiple positions at an engineering firm in the Chicago Loop.

Ken was also an avid theater goer and attended lunch time lectures at the Art Institute of Chicago. He and Pat enjoyed camping with the family, and when the kids were grown, they continued camping and “saw one Shakespeare play after another at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada.” Ken and Pat (who passed away in 2024) were married for 54 years.

“We miss him and Pat at our Plank Road gatherings. I know they were members in our early days in Brookfield and regular attendees until a few years ago. They were so nice and it was fun to see how much they enjoyed the music.” – Bob O’Hanlon

“Ken and his family were early members, active participants, and major fans of the Plank Road Folk Music Society.” – Dave Humphreys

“He was a much beloved member of our Plank Road Folk Music Society. He will be dearly missed.” – Dottie Lee

__________________

Thanks to Jill and Katie for notifying us and for providing Ken’s obituary.

Dolly Parton 

One of the most beloved and influential figures in country music, Dolly Rebecca Parton, died in Nashville on August 25. She was 80.

Parton leaves behind a remarkable legacy as a singer, songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist.

Born in 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children raised in a poor but musical family in the Great Smoky Mountains. Her humble upbringing strongly influenced her songwriting and became a recurring theme throughout her career. She moved to Nashville in 1964 and gained national attention after appearing on The Porter Wagoner Show. 

Parton became an international star with songs including “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You.” Her music crossed generations and genres, earning her numerous awards and honors, including induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She also found success in films such as 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias.

Beyond entertainment, Parton was admired for her generosity and commitment to children and education. Through her Imagination Library, she helped provide free books to children around the world. Her philanthropy became one of the defining parts of her legacy.

Parton’s extraordinary career and distinctive personality made her a cultural icon. Her legacy extends far beyond the stage — her music, humor, kindness, and dedication to helping others will continue to inspire generations.

Eric Noden   

Eric Noden, Chicago-based folksinger, songwriter, guitarist, teacher, and scholar of American roots music, died May 9 at the age of 57.

He discovered country blues through his father’s record collection and developed a distinctive fingerpicking style that became the foundation of his musical career.

Noden moved to Chicago in 1994, drawn by the city’s vibrant music scene. He and Rick Sherry (of Devil in a Woodpile) formed The Sanctified Grumblers in 2009, and released an album, No Lie. He taught guitar at the Old Town School of Folk Music, where he met harmonica virtuoso Joe Filisko. The two eventually formed a celebrated duo, performing and recording traditional blues, folk, and roots music while bringing the sounds of early American blues to audiences around the world.

Known for his virtuosic guitar playing, soulful voice, generosity as a teacher, and deep respect for musical history, Noden left an enduring mark on Chicago’s roots-music community.

His passing in May received little notice, and many of us just heard about it recently. Both the Sanctified Grumblers and Noden & Filisko performed several times at Two Way Street, as well as the Fox Valley Folk Festival and numerous venues in the Chicago area, the U.S. and Europe.

Barn dance season is in full swing!

Plank Road is excited to present 7 Barn Dances this season — including 2 Sunday afternoon dances, perfect for family fun!

Enjoy a fun-filled event of old-time music and dancing for the entire family, from children to senior citizens. The dances are co-sponsored by Plank Road and the Two Way Street Coffee House.

Barn dances are informal, with no costumes needed — you don't even have to bring a partner!

• The Plank Road String Band provides lively music, and a caller to walk you through all the dances — No Experience Necessary!

• Chairs are set up around the edge of the room for visiting with friends and enjoying music between dances.

2026-2027 Calendar

All dances are on Saturday evening, except as noted:

October 18     2-4 pm (Sunday)

November 7   7-9 pm

January 16     7-9 pm

February 6     7-9 pm

February 21   2-4 pm (Sunday)

March 20        7-9 pm

May 8              7-9 pm



Come watch. Come listen. Come dance!

Glen Hansard

Irish singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor, Glen Hansard, died July 29, in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56.

His raw, emotionally direct music carried him from Dublin’s streets to performing on major stages around the world.



Born in Dublin, Hansard left school at 13 and began busking, an experience that shaped his musical identity and remained central to his career. In 1990 he co-founded The Frames, becoming the band’s lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter. The group built a devoted following in Ireland and internationally. Hansard also appeared as a guitarist in the 1991 film The Commitments.

His greatest international breakthrough came in 2007 with the film Once, starring opposite Markéta Irglová. Hansard co-wrote and performed “Falling Slowly,” which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008. The pair subsequently toured as the Swell Season, and their songs became the foundation of the Tony Award-winning stage musical, Once. (Later performed at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora.)



Hansard went on to a successful solo career, releasing five studio albums and continuing to perform with extraordinary intensity. His final solo album, Don’t Settle, was released earlier this year. He was also deeply involved in Dublin’s music and charitable communities, including the annual Christmas Eve Busk. U2’S Bono described Hansard as an "angelic presence, a voice of the streets, and a smiling rascal."

Bonnie Tyler

Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer whose unmistakable husky voice powered some of the biggest pop-rock hits of the 1970s and ’80s, died July 8, in Portugal. She was 75.

Born in southwest Wales, Tyler began singing in local clubs before signing with RCA in 1976. Her breakthrough came with “It’s a Heartache,” a 1977 international hit. Her career reached new heights in the 1983 album Faster Than the Speed of Night and “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” The song topped charts worldwide and became her signature recording.

Tyler also scored a major hit with “Holding Out for a Hero,” from the Footloose soundtrack, and recorded music for film and television throughout her career. She released 18 studio albums, and continued touring into her seventies.

SIDE NOTE: Her biggest hit, “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” received some airtime years later during the total eclipses of the sun in 2017 and 2024 (in Carbondale!).

Freddy Cannon

Freddy Cannon, the exuberant rock ’n’ roll singer whose recordings made him one of the most recognizable voices of the late 1950s and early 1960s, died July 17, at 89. He drew inspiration from rhythm and blues and learned guitar as a boy.

His breakthrough came in 1959 with “Tallahassee Lassie,” a Top 10 hit that he co-wrote with his mother and his producers. His booming delivery and trademark “whoo!” helped earn him the nickname “Boom Boom.” He followed with “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” which reached No. 3, and “Palisades Park,” his 1962 signature hit.

Cannon became a frequent presence on American Bandstand. Though his chart success diminished after the mid-1960s, he continued recording and performing for decades, particularly on oldies tours and in Britain. His songs remained staples of rock ’n’ roll nostalgia, preserving the exuberant sound of the era’s early pop-rock explosion. 

Tobias Music

www.tobiasmusic.com 

WDCB Folk Festival

Another quarter gone by. Winfield (the WVF – Walnut Valley Festival) was ~100°F five days in a row. Couldn't take it and left 3 days early. Hope you had a good summer.

Fred Spanuello once again had some interesting answers. All responses are great and fun.

Answers to July 2026 Quiz:

Q1.  What was the duo of Sonny & Cher's first name? What earlier hit might "I've got you babe" be derived from? What instrument is used for its "identifying musical motif?”

A1.   Sonny & Cher's earliest attempts were as "Caesar and Cleo" on 1^st the Vault label, then Reprise before signing with Atco as Sonny & Cher.  The "cor anglais" or English horn is used at the beginning and throughout "I've got You Babe".  The "Cor Anglis" can also be called an "alto oboe" which is 1 & ½ the length of a standard oboe and plays in key of F.  Sonny took the opposite sentiment of Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe".

Q2.   Name the #4 BB100 hit song by comedian & actor Bill Cosby.

A2.   "Little Ole Man" a parody of Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" went to #4 In Sep. 1967.  "Uptight" peaked at #3 in early 1966.

Q3.   NAME THAT TUNE! – What song begins with the words "The Night We Met I Knew"?

A3.   Ronettes “Be My Baby.”

Q4.   NAME THAT TUNE! – What song begins with the words "When you live in the country?"

A4.   "Y'all Come" was written by Arlie Duff in 1953.  A nice Grandpa Jones (and many others) song in our Plank Road Country Western songbook.



Q5.   What is the origin/inspiration for Ritchie Valens "La Bamba?"

A5.   Ritchie Valens only made it to #22 BB100 in 1959 with the well-known song that was a Mexican huapango (a wedding song) that he barely knew.  He winged it spitting out made-up lyrics as he sang the well-known arrangement.

Q6.  On what show, what age was Teresa Brewer's 1st performance?  What song did she sing?

A6.  At the age of 7 in 1935, she appeared on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, singing “The Darktown Strutters' Ball.”

Q7.   What year did Ned Miller first release "From a Jack to a King?”

A7.   The 1st release of “From a Jack to a King” went nowhere in 1957.  A jukebox operator requested a reissue of the record in 1962, and it went to #1 BBCW and #5 BB100.

TRIVIA SNIPPET: 

"Sally Go Round the Roses"



The song was a #2 hit in 1963 for a group called the Jaynettes. It was a $60K production for J&S records, featuring 20 female vocalists. It was an ad-hoc group assembled for the purpose of producing a girl-group record.

Q8.  Who took over the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, when and why?  When was the 1st TV broadcast?

A8.  Major Bowes died on June 15, 1946, at which time Ted Mack took over in 1947, and started the 1st TV broadcast.

NEW! October 2026 Trivia Quiz:

Q1.  What do Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette, Bill Black, and Elvis Presley have in common?

Q2.  Steve Lawrence was born in 1935, and had his first hit in 1952, but only had one #1 song. What was the song?

Q3.  Why and by whom was the A&M record label established?

Q4.  What Hank Williams song became a #1 hit after he died?

Q5.  Nilsson’s “Without You” was a BB100 #1 in the US and also #1 in the UK, both in 1971. Mariah Carey also had a #1 of it. Who wrote and sang the original, and when?

Q6.  NAME THAT TUNE! – What song begins with the words "Callin’ out around the world, are you . . ."?

Q7.  NAME THAT TUNE! – What song begins with the words "When I said I needed you so?"

Q8.   Who played harmonicas on Millie Smalls 1964 #2 hit, "My Boy Lollipop?"

LARGE TRIVIA SNIPPET: 

"Big Rock Candy Mountain"

"Big Rock Candy Mountain", first recorded by Harry McClintock (nee: Haywire Mac) in 1928, about a hobo's idea of paradise. McClintock claimed to have written the song in 1895, based on tales from his youth, of hoboing through the United States.

The song, is probably older, and partially based on several other early ballads ("An Invitation to Lubberland"; "The Appleknocker's Lament"; "Hobo's Paradise"; "Hobo Heaven"; "Sweet Potato Mountains"; and "Little Streams of Whiskey") which mention concepts similar to those in "Big Rock Candy Mountain".

McClintock cleaned it up from the version he sang as a street busker in the 1890s. Originally the song described a child being recruited into hobo life by tales of the "big rock candy mountain." In 1939, the song peaked at #1 on country music charts, but achieved true popularity in 1949 when a sanitized version intended for children was re-recorded by Burl Ives.

In 1960, Dorsey Burnette had the biggest success in the post-1954 "rock era", reaching #102 on Billboard's chart. Since then, more sanitized versions have been popular with children's musicians. The "cigarette trees" become peppermint trees; the "streams of alcohol" trickling down the rocks become streams of lemonade; the "lake of gin and/or lake of whiskey" became a lake of soda pop.  

Everyone is invited to respond with answers. Send them to AndyM @ 

pictq@yahoo.com

Please visit us at

Plank Road Folk Music Society

Questions? Please send us an email at:

plankroadfolk@plankroad.org