1960s Music Legend Happy Traum Has Died [Video]

Happy Traum, a pivotal figure in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s and a longtime resident of Woodstock, New York, has passed away at the age of 86. Rolling Stone reported the cause was cancer. His death marks the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy that spans six decades of musical innovation, education, and community building.

Born in the Bronx on May 9, 1938, Traum’s entry into folk music began during his time at the High School of Music & Art. It was there that he discovered traditional American music and became enamored with the works of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. This early exposure ignited a passion that would shape the course of his life and influence countless musicians for generations to come.

Traum’s musical education was largely self-directed. He taught himself to play the guitar and 5-string banjo, honing his skills while working as a folk …