Painter and singer-songwriter Eric Von Schmidt was a lynchpin of the folk revival movement of the 1960s. After serving in the Army and studying art in Europe, Von Schmidt moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he pursued his art and joined the growing folk music scene. With his encyclopedic knowledge of traditional country, folk, and blues tunes, Von Schmidt proved an important resource and influence on many aspiring folk singers, including Tom Rush and a young Bob Dylan. (Dylan references Von Schmidt in his recording of “Baby Let Me Follow You Down.”) His first album, ERIC SINGS VON SCHMIDT appeared in ’64. He released three more albums into the early '70s, including FOLK BLUES and 2ND RIGHT, 3RD ROW. Von Schmidt also had a successful career as a painter, illustrator, and album cover artist, and co-authored a book about the Cambridge coffeehouse scene. He died in 2006 at age 75.