Richard Dyer-Bennet

In the 1940s and '50s, Richard Dyer-Bennet emerged as a prominent folk singer in America, earning the nickname "Twentieth-Century Minstrel." Paul O. Jenkins reveals Dyer-Bennet's unique musical style, which resonated differently with American audiences, reflecting a fading folk tradition. His inspiration came from Sven Scholander, the last European proponent of minstrelsy, whom Dyer-Bennet met shortly before Scholander's passing. This biography captures the life and influence of a pivotal figure in American folk music history.