Eric Von Schmidt

Eric Von Schmidt ( born May 28, 1931 in Westport, Connecticut, † February 2nd 2007 in Fairfield, Connecticut) was an American painter, illustrator, and folk and blues singer, singer-songwriter of the folk / blues revival of the 1960s who played a key role in the folk scene of the U.S. East coast and the artists to Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

His music lives on for decades by the interpretations of Travis MacRae and the late Jeff Buckley. Although it is sometimes not explicitly mentioned in the context of the era, as his former recordings nowadays are almost all not available any more, his name is famous, even legendary within the " Inner Circle " of folk music. In 2000 he was honored with the ASCAP Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award; On this occasion, a celebration was held at the Jim Kweskin Jug Band including Fritz Richmond and Geoff and Maria Muldaur performed together again.

From Schmidt is among non- musicians has probably heard most famous for his song Baby, Let Me Follow You Down, passing years also to Bob Dylan's repertoire, and lists for Dylan's record label Columbia Records by Schmidt as a writer, even though he himself no authorship claims for himself. In addition, by Schmidt for a large number of musical contributions to records of other musicians known. He will continue - with Tom Rush - attributed revived the song Was not That A Mighty Storm ( destroyed about the Hurricane of 1900, Galveston, Texas ) and the most played version to have arranged this song.

From Schmidt's work as a painter and illustrator includes not only numerous book illustrations, but also a variety of record covers for music albums, including those for Joan Baez. He - along with Jim Rooney - the book Baby, Let Me Follow You Down written and directed a short film at least. No longer active as a musician, painted Eric Von Schmidt as before and had completed an epic mural of the Battle of the Alamo shortly before his death.

Eric Von Schmidt's father Harold was by Schmidt, a former illustrator of the Saturday Evening Post, mainly because of its " Wild West " - has become known and landscape painting.

Eric lived by Schmidt and most recently worked in Westport, Connecticut, where he was recovering from a laryngeal cancer surgery. In the summer of 2006, he also suffered a stroke on February 2, 2007, he died in a rehabilitation clinic in Fairfield, Connecticut.