<Li> Dave Van Ronk was a mainstay of the scene, the so - called "Mayor of Macdougal Street". He was a mentor and inspiration for Tom Paxton, Christine Lavin, Joni Mitchell, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Bob Dylan (who described Van Ronk as "the king who reigned supreme" in the Village) </Li> <Li> Joan Baez's career got started in 1958 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where at 17 she gave her first coffee - house concert . She was invited to perform at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival in 1959 by pop folk star Bob Gibson, after which Baez was sometimes called "the barefoot Madonna", gaining renown for her clear voice and three - octave range . She recorded her first album for an established label the following year--a collection of laments and traditional folk ballads from the British Isles, accompanying the songs with guitar . Her second LP release went gold, as did her next (live) albums . One record featured her rendition of a song by the then - unknown Bob Dylan . In the early 1960s, Baez moved into the forefront of the American folk - music revival . Increasingly, her personal convictions--peace, social justice, anti-poverty--were reflected in the topical songs that made up a growing portion of her repertoire, to the point that Baez became a symbol for these particular concerns . </Li> <Li> Bob Dylan often performed, and sometimes toured, with Joan Baez, starting when she was a singer of mostly traditional songs . As Baez adopted some of Dylan's songs into her repertoire and even introduced Dylan to her avid audiences, a large following on the folk circuit, it helped the young songwriter to gain initial recognition . By the time Dylan recorded his first LP (1962) he had developed a style reminiscent of Woody Guthrie . He began to write songs that captured the "progressive" mood on the college campuses and in the coffee houses . Though by 1964 there were many new guitar - playing singer / songwriters, it is arguable that Dylan eventually became the most popular of these younger folk - music - revival performers . </Li> <Li> Peter, Paul and Mary debuted in the early 1960s and were an American trio who ultimately became one of the biggest musical acts of the 1960s . The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers . They were one of the main folk music torchbearers of social commentary music in the 1960s . As the decade passed, their music incorporated more elements of pop and rock . </Li>

Who is considered the primary artist in folk music