Jean Ritchie (1922-2015) was a pivotal American folk singer, songwriter, and dulcimer player, known as the "Mother of Folk" for preserving and sharing Appalachian traditions, learning songs orally from her large family in Viper, Kentucky, and introducing them to the world via recordings, books, and performances, including writing iconic songs like "Black Waters" about environmental issues. She documented hundreds of ancient British/Irish ballads and Kentucky songs, earning a Fulbright Fellowship to research roots in the British Isles and becoming a key figure in the folk revival.