No​ ​one​ ​remembers​ ​when​ ​the​ ​neighbors​ ​started​ ​calling​ ​the​ ​McCutcheons​ ​to complain​ ​about​ ​the​ ​loud​ ​singing​ ​from​ ​young​ ​John’s​ ​bedroom.​ ​It​ ​didn’t​ ​seem​ ​to do​ ​much​ ​good,​ ​though.​ ​For,​ ​after​ ​a​ ​shaky,​ ​lopsided​ ​battle​ ​between​ ​piano lessons​ ​and​ ​baseball​ ​(he​ ​was​ ​a​ ​mediocre​ ​pianist​ ​and​ ​an​ ​all-star​ ​catcher),​ ​he​ ​had “found​ ​his​ ​voice”​ ​thanks​ ​to​ ​a​ ​cheap​ ​mail-order​ ​guitar​ ​and​ ​a​ ​used​ ​book​ ​of chords.
From​ ​such​ ​inauspicious​ ​beginnings,​ ​John​ ​McCutcheon​ ​has​ ​emerged​ ​as​ ​one​ ​of our​ ​most​ ​respected​ ​and​ ​loved​ ​folksingers.​ ​As​ ​an​ ​instrumentalist,​ ​he​ ​is​ ​a​ ​master of​ ​a​ ​dozen​ ​di​ ​erent​ ​traditional​ ​instruments,​ ​most​ ​notably​ ​the​ ​rare​ ​and​ ​beautiful hammer​ ​dulcimer.​ ​His​ ​songwriting​ ​has​ ​been​ ​hailed​ ​by​ ​critics​ ​and​ ​singers around​ ​the​ ​globe.​ ​His​ ​thirty​ ​recordings​ ​have​ ​garnered​ ​every​ ​imaginable​ ​honor including​ ​seven​ ​Grammy​ ​nominations.​ ​He​ ​has​ ​produced​ ​over​ ​twenty​ ​albums​ ​of other​ ​artists,​ ​from​ ​tradi-​ ​tional​ ​​​ddlers​ ​to​ ​contemporary​ ​singer-songwriters​ ​to educa-​ ​tional​ ​and​ ​documentary​ ​works.​ ​His​ ​books​ ​and​ ​instructional​ ​materials have​ ​introduced​ ​budding​ ​players​ ​to​ ​the​ ​joys​ ​of​ ​their​ ​own​ ​musicality.​ ​And​ ​his commitment​ ​to​ ​grass​ ​roots​ ​political​ ​organizations​ ​has​ ​put​ ​him​ ​on​ ​the​ ​front​ ​lines of​ ​many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​issues​ ​important​ ​to​ ​communities​ ​and​ ​workers.