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  • Jean Ritchie performs at the 1967 Newport Folk Festival. Photo by Diana Davies, Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

    Jean Ritchie performs at the 1967 Newport Folk Festival. Photo by Diana Davies, Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

    Smithsonian Folkways Remembers Jean Ritchie (1922–2015)

    Smithsonian Folkways is saddened to learn of the passing of Jean Ritchie. An inimitable force in traditional music, Ritchie was a songwriter, ballad singer, musician, and folklorist, and is credited with resurrecting the Appalachian dulcimer. Read our full tribute and share your own here.

    Smithsonian Folkways Remembers Jean Ritchie (1922–2015) | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings