Appreciation thread for the men and women at Stonewall who said "Enough."

[starroute]

11. I'm thinking in particular of the late, great Dave Van Ronk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Van_Ronk

Dave Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer, born in Brooklyn, New York, who settled in Greenwich Village, New York, and was eventually nicknamed the "Mayor of MacDougal Street" .

He was an important figure in the acoustic folk revival of the 1960s. His work ranged from old English ballads to Bertolt Brecht, blues, gospel, rock, New Orleans jazz, and swing. He was also known for performing instrumental ragtime guitar music, especially his transcription of St. Louis Tickle and Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag.

Van Ronk was a widely admired avuncular figure in "the Village", presiding over the coffeehouse folk culture and acting as a friend to many up and coming artists by inspiring, assisting, and promoting them. Folk performers whom he befriended include Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Patrick Sky, Phil Ochs, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Guthrie Thomas, and Joni Mitchell. . . .

Van Ronk was among the thirteen people arrested at the Stonewall Inn June 28, 1969--the night that the Stonewall Riots, which many cite as the start of the gay rights movement, began. The New York Times reported the next day that he was arrested and later parolled on his own recognizance for having thrown a heavy object at a patrolman. City records reveal he was charged with felony assault in the second degree[9] and pled guilty to the lesser charge of harassment, classified in 1969 as a violation under pL 240.25. A June 29, 1969 article in the The New York Post, and a 1996 inverview of eyewitness Steve Yates, reveal that Van Ronk was pulled by police from the crowd outside and dragged inside.