This O’Brien Gal was raised on an eclectic  collection of music. My parents listened to ‘records’ on the turntable and music on the radio, nonstop. I grew up hearing everything from Big Bands to Classical to Tin Pan Alley to Hank Williams and Roy Rogers (the first). 
Along about high school, I was turned on to Country Music big time. This was before Elvis came along when country was ‘pure’ in my estimation. 
About the same time I became interested in folk music. It wasn’t popular then, but could be found in small clubs and on obscure recordings. Most of this music was ethnic music from eastern Europe or based on the ‘Child’ collection of music from the British Isles. The Weavers and Burl Ives moved some of this music into the pop world in the late 40’s, early 50’s.  
Rock-a-Billy came along  with Carl Perkins and friends and country music changed.  Of course in the late 50’s early 60’s there was the ‘folk scare’ when a lot of the old music became popular all over again with such groups as the Kingston Trio, Odetta, New Lost City Ramblers, the Limelighters, etc. 
I got caught up in 60’s music early on and listened to all of it, especially liking what was called ‘soft’ rock, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Don McLean, America, and so forth. There also were groups like the Lovin' Spoonfull which had country roots. All this music had a folksy sound although it was contemporary.  
When I moved to Takilma in the early 70’s homemade music was the norm and the 3 chord sound was everywhere. Old timey: Carter Family; Old Country: Hank Williams; New ‘folk’: Leonard Cohen; Bluegrass: Bill Monroe. We loved it all and it all wove together in my head. 
Along about ‘74 a Redheaded Stranger caught my ear and the Outlaws of Austin pulled me into hippie/redneck
music.
I’ve seen Utah Phillips and Rosalie Sorrels carry on through the years. 
Through my friendship with a musician of Takilma renown, I have learned about the singer-songwriters of today. These are mostly country folk who write and sing about their love of the land and hope for the future. Tom Russell, Stephanie Davis, and Eliza Gilkyson are just a few.

So that’s where I come from, musically. You can see why I play the music I do. It all fits together for me.

The rest of the story: I’m a mom, grandma and great grandma. I’ve lived simply and not so simply. I garden more flowers than vegetables. I’ve never learned a craft although I made my kids clothes at one time. I love to eat but don’t like to cook. My spirit is fed from the sky and the earth. I call whatever That is ‘Mom’ and say ‘thank you’ a lot.

May you have Many Blessings.......