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David Massengill

A native of Bristol, Tennessee, singer/songwriter David Massengill arrived on the New York City scene in the late 1970s accompanying himself on the mountain dulcimer. Many of his earlier and best-known songs were narratives that recounted real events or historical sketches. Joan Baez and The Roches have both recorded “On the Road to Fairfax County,” a tale of an 18th century highwayman and his love, a song that has sometimes been mistaken for a traditional ballad. “My Name Joe” explores the conflict between cultures in an urban melting pot based on Massengill’s experiences as a dishwasher in an Upper West Side restaurant. Massengill has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the National Storytelling Festival, Mountain Stage, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Fest, Lunenberg Folk Fest, Old Songs, Kerrville Folk Festival, the Kennedy Center, Nebraska Storytelling Festival, Clearwater’s Hudson River Festival, Vancouver Folk Fest, Festival of the Eno, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, Detroit Storytelling Festival and many more.

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Watch Past Performances

David Massengill 8/17/02: David Massengill

David Massengill is ‘one of the most talented young singer-songwriters of the Village-based circle. He’s a respected cult figure whose songs are serious and idiosyncratic’ New York Times

David Massengill

David Massengill is ‘one of the most talented young singer-songwriters of the Village-based circle. He’s a respected cult figure whose songs are serious and idiosyncratic’ New York Times

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