I awoke yesterday morning to the terrible news that Newfoundland singer/songwriter Ron Hynes had died. He had suffered from cancer for several years; but still, his death came as a shock. His songs were the songs of the people; his stories were our stories. He wrote about things that mattered to us all. His work embodied originality and was a world away from the hollow, predictable sounds of commercial radio. Very recently, I had the privilege to see this master perform in an intimate … [Read more...]