Bob Gibson: I Come for to Sing: The Stops Along the Way of a Folk Music Legend (Paperback)

by Bob Gibson (Author), Peter Yarrow (Epilogue), Allan Shaw (Preface)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Bob Gibson, a singer, banjo player and 12-string guitar player, was an influential figure in the folk music revival of the mid-1950s and 1960s, a period that is sometimes now referred to by cynics as the Great Folk Scare.

Bender is more than a true and loyal fan, she is an acolyte. She can be forgiven if she slightly oversells Gibson's place in the folk music pantheon. The book is not for everybody, obviously. But for those who fondly remember the Great Folk Scare - and there are more of you out there than care to admit it - it is worthwhile and an engaging read. -- The Tulsa World, David Averill

Bob would be proud and happy. The songwriting manual could be in itself a book. Seriously! It's good and it's brief. -- Pete Seeger

I'm so glad to hear my dad's voice again, and I do hear it. Carole has done such a fabulous job of capturing his speech. He sounds like he's well again. Carole's offer was what he wanted and needed. Carole has not only gotten his story, she got his cadence. And I think he knew she would. -- Meridian Green, Bob's Oldest Daughter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Inspired by a meeting with Pete Seeger, a young Bob Gibson left behind a successful job to collect folk songs. This book follows Bob Gibson through his meteoric rise to fame, his twenty-year struggle with drug addiction, and his never-ending process of reinventing himself to find new expressions for his art. Two years after his life-changing meeting with Pete Seeger, Gibson burst onto the music scene with an unprecedented joy for his music. He not only changed public perception of what folk music was, but he helped to introduce a new format for the presentation of music, which became the coffeehouse circuit. His own arrangements of folk music, coupled with his original songs, began the trend of the 1950s and 1960s in which songwriters created their own modern day folk songs, giving expression to that turbulent era. This book includes the reminiscences and interviews with many musicians and songwriters including Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, George Carlin, Judy Collins, and Odetta, as well as many others instrumental to the formulation of the folk-music revival of the 1960s.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 436 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company; Revised edition (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565549082
• ISBN-13: 978-1565549081
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,804,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "No! Not the Baseball Pitcher!", March 14, 2000

By	Steve Clayberg (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bob Gibson - I Come For To Sing (Paperback)

My intent here is to convince as many as possible to read this biographical book about someone of whom they probably have never heard.

There is certainly nothing simple about my endeavor, just as there is nothing simple about the subject. He was far more than just a folk singer. He had as much charisma as Elvis, as much innovative talent as Chuck Berry, as much potential as Buddy Holly, and as phenomenal as it sounds, somehow managed to stay hidden in the shadows. He never achieved any wide spread general recognition.

The author recognized the importance of her subject's contributions, the scope of his talent, the scale of his influence, and with probing tenacity shone her light into those shadows, so we the reader might discover a true American troubadour, Bob Gibson.

The book paints the picture of an artist who reached the zenith of his profession, a world class entertainer, a man who literally changed forever the entire genre of folk music. To paint this portrait the author delineates the man in the shadows with the words and stories of his friends, fans, family and of course the musicians, singers, and songwriters of the 50s and 60s whom Bob Gibson affected.

Only after you read the book will you understand why she chose to tell the story in this manner. Simply put, of the many talents Bob possessed, his most amazing attribute was the positive manner in which he affected virtually everyone whose life he touched. The dichotomy was he still somehow managed, in his own enigmatic way, to remain virtually unknown.

Without this book, Bob Gibson, might never have received his final encore, one he richly deserves and one we readers can be thankful that the author provided. The amount of effort it took to compile this heretofore "untold story," could only have been powered by the energy derived from working on a true, "labor-of-love."

Like the dichotomy that was Bob Gibson's life, this book will make you happy and sad. Sad that you weren't aware of him earlier, and happy that the author persevered in her quest to illuminate and thus honor this dynamic individual. This book is Bob Gibson's last spotlight.

P.S. Better than apple pie the book comes a la mode. Tucked neatly into the inside back cover of the book there is a full length compilation CD of some of Bob's best known music and songs. Get it and enjoy the story and music of a little known legend.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read with a bonus!, January 13, 2000

By	Kim Dunning (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bob Gibson - I Come For To Sing (Paperback)

This was a very interesting book for me. I didn't know much about Bob Gibson, had heard some songs but hadn't really paid much attention to them. I found the book to be well written and most importantly, to me, it made me wish that I had been more aware of Bob Gibson's music. The book makes you feel like you knew him and that you cared about him. The CD has some great songs and it is especially interesting to listen to it while reading the book. I think everyone should own a copy of this book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally Someone Tells Bob's Story!, January 13, 2000

By	Ron Pratt (Fremont, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bob Gibson - I Come For To Sing (Paperback)

I have to say I am SO happy to see someone tell Bob's story and bring to life the credibility and praise that he so righteously earned. Having been a loyal fan of folk music since it's early days, I have known how much influence he has had on the evolution of folk music throughout the sixties, seventies, and even today. Yet I have been consistently amazed at how many people are not aware of this. We hear all about Peter, Paul & Mary, Joan Baez, and other household names, but Bob's name goes largely unrecognized, even though he personally influenced all of these people...a fact which is frequently made evident by the many contributions to this book by other artists. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone with an appreciation of folk music, whether you know of Bob Gibson or not, you will wonder why someone didnt write this book sooner.