Barry Olivier
Encyclopedia
Barry Olivier is a professional guitar teacher, and creator/producer of the Berkeley Folk Music Festivals from 1958 to 1970.
, Carl Sandburg
, and John Jacob Niles
, who he saw perform on campus at Cal. Beginning in 1956 he hosted “The Midnight Special” on KPFA
radio. He started a music instrument shop in Berkeley, Fretted Instruments, to serve the growing folk music community during the mid-1950s.
In 1958, Olivier, as a student at UC Berkeley envisioned and created The Berkeley Folk Festival which became an annual event, produced by Olivier, until 1970. Among the many performers he introduced was Alice Stuart
, who launched her career from that discovery. Other performers and workshop participants included Doc Watson
and his son Merle, Joan Baez
, Pete Seeger
, Mississippi John Hurt
, Almeda Riddle
, Charles Seeger
, Mance Lipscomb
, and folklorist Archie Green
. Associate festival producer John Chambless described Olivier as having produced the festivals almost single-handedly and with "enormous good taste."
He produced all of Joan Baez
’s Northern California concerts for many years.
Olivier sold his archive of folk festival materials to Northwestern University
in 1974 (ibid). This festival was the subject of history and American studies professor Michael J. Kramer’s research seminar “Digitizing Folk Music History: The Berkeley Folk Festival.” In May 2011, he spoke at Northwestern about his experience during the 60's (ibid).
Olivier has been described as one of the Bay Area's preeminent guitar teachers (ibid). He taught a young boy from El Cerrito CA named John Fogerty
his first guitar lessons (ibid), and helped Kate Wolf
perfect her guitar playing technique. He is the father of five children, including new vaudeville entertainer Frank Olivier.
Early life
Olivier grew up living in the San Francisco Bay Area cities of Belvedere, Brentwood and Berkeley, moving several times as his father was a school principal. He moved to Berkeley in 1947 as a teenager. Olivier lived in Berkeley for many years, and now lives in Oakland, CA.Career
Olivier has been part of the the Berkeley folk music scene since the 1950s. He was influenced by folk revivalists such as Burl IvesBurl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
, Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
, and John Jacob Niles
John Jacob Niles
John Jacob Niles was an American composer, singer, and collector of traditional ballads. Called the "Dean of American Balladeers", Niles was an important influence on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, with Joan Baez, Burl Ives, and Peter, Paul and Mary, among others,...
, who he saw perform on campus at Cal. Beginning in 1956 he hosted “The Midnight Special” on KPFA
KPFA
KPFA is a listener-funded progressive talk radio and music radio station located in Berkeley, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KPFA airs public news, public affairs, talk, and music programming. The station signed on-the-air April 15 1949, as the first Pacifica Station...
radio. He started a music instrument shop in Berkeley, Fretted Instruments, to serve the growing folk music community during the mid-1950s.
In 1958, Olivier, as a student at UC Berkeley envisioned and created The Berkeley Folk Festival which became an annual event, produced by Olivier, until 1970. Among the many performers he introduced was Alice Stuart
Alice Stuart
Alice Stuart is an American blues and folk singer-songwriter and guitarist. She toured the UK with Van Morrison and throughout the United States with Mississippi John Hurt....
, who launched her career from that discovery. Other performers and workshop participants included Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
and his son Merle, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt was an American country blues singer and guitarist.Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine...
, Almeda Riddle
Almeda Riddle
Almeda Riddle was an American folk singer.Born and raised in Cleburne County, Arkansas, she learned music from her father, a fiddler and singing teacher. She collected and sang traditional ballads throughout her life, usually unaccompanied...
, Charles Seeger
Charles Seeger
Charles Seeger, Jr. was a noted musicologist, composer, and teacher. He was the father of iconic American folk singer Pete Seeger .-Life:...
, Mance Lipscomb
Mance Lipscomb
Mance Lipscomb was an American blues singer, guitarist and songster. Born Beau De Glen Lipscomb near Navasota, Texas, United States, he as a youth took the name of 'Mance' from a friend of his oldest brother Charlie .-Biography:Lipscomb was born April 9, 1895 to an ex-slave father from Alabama and...
, and folklorist Archie Green
Archie Green
Archie Green was a folklorist specializing in laborlore and American folk music. Devoted to understanding vernacular culture, he gathered and commented upon the speech, stories, songs, emblems, rituals, art, artifacts, memorials, and landmarks which constitute laborlore...
. Associate festival producer John Chambless described Olivier as having produced the festivals almost single-handedly and with "enormous good taste."
He produced all of Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
’s Northern California concerts for many years.
Olivier sold his archive of folk festival materials to Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 1974 (ibid). This festival was the subject of history and American studies professor Michael J. Kramer’s research seminar “Digitizing Folk Music History: The Berkeley Folk Festival.” In May 2011, he spoke at Northwestern about his experience during the 60's (ibid).
Olivier has been described as one of the Bay Area's preeminent guitar teachers (ibid). He taught a young boy from El Cerrito CA named John Fogerty
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
his first guitar lessons (ibid), and helped Kate Wolf
Kate Wolf
Kate Wolf was an American folk singer and songwriter. Though her career was relatively short, she had a significant impact on the folk music scene, and many musicians continue to cover her songs...
perfect her guitar playing technique. He is the father of five children, including new vaudeville entertainer Frank Olivier.