Bill Staines was an American folk singer-songwriter born as William Russell Staines on 6 February 1947 in Medford, Massachusetts. Raised in Lexington, he achieved professional recognition in the early 1960s within the Cambridge music scene before conducting national tours. In 1975, he won the National Yodeling Championship at the Kerrville Folk Festival. His recording career began with the debut studio recording A Bag of Rainbows (1966) followed by Somebody Blue (1967). Staines produced 22 albums throughout his career, including Bill Staines (1971), Third Time Around (1973), Miles (1975), and Old Wood and Winter Wine (1977). He achieved professional recognition for compositions such as “Bridges” (1984), “Crossing the Water” (1984), and “The Roseville Fair” (1984), which were recorded by artists including Peter, Paul and Mary, Nanci Griffith, and The Highwaymen. He performed extensively on programs including A Prairie Home Companion and Mountain Stage. Staines died from prostate cancer on 5 December 2021.
