Mac Wiseman, the "voice with a heart," is one of the 2008 honorees by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Mac received a National Heritage Award, which was established "as a way of honoring American folk artists for their contributions to our national cultural mosaic. Modelled after the Japanese "National Living Treasures" concept, the idea began with Bess Lomax Hawes, then director of the Folk Arts Program. Since its inception, over 300 artists have received the Heritage Award," said the NEA.
Mac is joined by a diverse group of musicians, artists and craftsmen, ranging from a saddle maker to a master of the Brazilian martial art/dance form capoeira.
I've once heard that one of the signs of a great singer is whether you can immediately recognize his or her voice. That is definitely true with Mac. Here's a clip of him singing Wabash Cannonball.
I didn't know until working on this posting that Mac recorded an album of Gordon Lightfoot songs in 1977.
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