Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter is a term which refers to performers who belong to the folk music tradition but, unlike the traditional fol

Singer-songwriter is a term which refers to performers who belong to the folk music tradition but, unlike the traditional folk singers, write, compose, and sing their own material including lyrics, melodies and often the accompaniment and entire composition or song. Most singer-songwriters are less well-known than pop artists, and depend on word of mouth and extensive touring to garner a fan base, appearing primarily at house concerts, coffee houses, folk clubs, and festivals. Simply being able to write and perform songs does not qualify an artist as a singer-songwriter. Key requirements are that the songs address real-life issues that are often addressed by traditional folk songs and that the delivery is closer to folk music than pop music (e.g., seldom are there drums in American folk songs). Unlike pop artists, singer-songwriters are better known for their meaningful lyrics than for the presentation of the song.

The origins of the singer-songwriter in North America can be traced back to folk singers who created original works in the folk music style. The best known early singer-songwriters include Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, along with members of The Weavers (Seeger performed solo and as part of the Weavers). This movement often focused around labor unions, but also included other topics that affected the common person of the times. Seeger became a popular advocate for a number of causes, and used his popularity to not only promote his own causes, but also to introduce his audiences to the songs of many of the newer singer-songwriters, such as Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, and Harry Chapin.