Fred Holstein (December 9, 1942-2004) - Holstein's music never really made it outside of Chicago; however, to Chicagoans and Folk musicians alike, Holstein for many decades represented the best of Folk music. Over the years, Holstein not only performed around Chicago, he mentored upcoming musicians like John Prine, Steve Goodman and many others through his own bars and clubs and through the Old Town School of Folk Music, an institution to which he became inextricably linked. If his importance and contribution to the people of the Chicago was ever in doubt, his passing in 2004 and the outpouring of affection that followed proved his worth.