John Stewart has passed away.

[face of glass]

A songwriter legend gone, sigh.

http://leftinaboite.blogspot.com/200...ead-at-68.html

John Stewart has died today at the age of 68. The folk singer suffered suffered a massive stroke or brain aneurysm early Friday morning in San Diego. Doctors had determined that any difficult surgical remedies that might have been employed to save his life- even if successful - would have left him immobile and unable to speak. He departed this world from the same hospital that he was born in on September 5th, 1939.


Stewart spent a lifetime writing and recording songs that chronicle the unique people and culture that is America. At age nineteen, John recorded an album for Roulette Records with his first folk group, The Cumberland Three and had several of his songs recorded by The Kingston Trio, whom he later joined. The group released sixteen albums which includedthe hits "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "The Reverend Mr. Black" and "Greenback Dollar". As a member of the Trio, he also composed many of the group's recordings including Road To Freedom and One More Town.

John set out on his own in 1968 and established a world following based on over 25 solo releases. His Nashville recorded LP, California Bloodlines was chosen by Rolling Stone as one of the 200 best albums of all times. His music has been at the center of many of the most dramatic and vital episodes of the times.

While America answered John Kennedy's challenge, NASA asked John to score a film depicting his country's historic quest to reach the moon.

When black Americans intensified their struggle for racial equality, John was in Selma, Alabama and was inspired to write and record songs about the Freedom marches and his experience.

When Robert Kennedy staged his last campaign in 1968, John and his music were with Kennedy and his message of hope for America.

When a nation needed to smile and sing, The Monkees re-recorded John's song Daydream Believer which sold 5 million copies in 1968. (Anne Murray's own hit version sold another 2 million in 1980.)

John had his biggest commercial success at the beginning of the '80s with his top ten RSO album Bombs Away Dream Babies, which included the hits "Gold" (which reached #5), "Midnight Wind" and "Lost Her in the Sun".