John Hurt (1892-1966) was a sharecropper and handyman for most of his life, before being rediscovered during the 1960s "folk music revival."  His striking visage excudes a quiet and gentle dignity.  His influence can be seen more in certain aspects of folk rock, or in bands like the Grateful Dead and Hot Tuna.  Here's a selection of his best performances.  We'll start with the 1928 recording of "Frankie," during his aborted attempt to make a career as a performer:

The later recordings all come from the period of his rediscovery and fame starting in the early 1960s.  We'll start with a video of a live performance of his version of the traditional spiritual "You've Got to Walk that Lonesome Valley," which gives a nice sense of his distinctive guitar playing style:

 In a similar vein, here's his version of "I Shall Not Be Moved":

 Finally, here's a song that will remind any middle-aged "dead head" (I'm not one–"dead head" that is!) of Hot Tuna: