Now in his fifth decade of delighting audiences on the North American folk music circuit, New England's Bill Staines is a true living legend. His songs, including "River," "Roseville Fair," and dozens more, have become standards, recorded by artists ranging from Nanci Griffith and Jerry Jeff Walker to Grandpa Jones. Weaving a gentle blend of wit and humor into his performances, along with a sense of timing that would give the best stand-up comedians a run for their money, Bill intersperses his own songs with traditional tunes, contemporary country ballads, and audience participation numbers. If you're lucky, you may even hear a yodel or two; Bill is a past winner of the Kerrville Folk Festival National Yodeling Championship.

The quintessential troubador, Bill recently released a retrospective CD titled The Second Million Miles (Red House), as well as publishing a memoir, The Tour: A Life Between the Lines.