I grew up with a 45 record of "The Frog Song" I'm now 42 years old and have been singing this song to my 2 year old son from the memories I have from when I was 8 or 9 years old. So many of his songs touch me so deep that hearing them just a few times ingrains them in my soul forever.
Thanks to Sam.

Dear Sam:

Thank you for the music. I know you are playing where you are now. Sorry I missed you.

Much love to Sam Hinton's family, and gratitude to the man for the songs from my childhood, that at 40 years old I still find myself singing when I'm happy and contented. May his blessings pass through many generations.

Have enjoyed Sam's music from 1960 when I borrowed one of his LPs from the United States Information Services office in Dar es Salamm, Tanganyika.
At the Pinewoods camp in Mass. in the 1980s, he taught us how to make whistles from garden hose. It was there that our daughter Jessica taught him a Larry Older song, "Once more a lumbering go". He sang it, and was so gracious to Jessica. Sam was a great and wonderful man and was an inspiration to so many who love the old songs.
David Jones

Didnt know the man but he had one hell of a name!

I was saddened to hear of Sam's death, but felt honored to have had email and phone contact with him in recent years, and to be able to fill him in on the identity of the author of his theme song The Amphioxus Song. I had heard his 1962 record when it was released -- he was a major influence on a lot of us.

Bon Votage Sam, and I'll keep spreading that song!

I became a huge Sam Hinton fan with my little son, born the last year of Sam's life. I wanted to hear classic American children's songs and found out about Sam's Smithsonian recordings through Pandora. I found out Mr. Hinton passed because I wanted to search more information about him. I'm really grateful for his music, because it makes my little boy smile. What a great legacy

I was introduced to Sam Hinton's music at the age of eight via a family friend, Joan Mahan, who regaled us with songs from "Whoever Shall Have Some Good Peanuts". Thus began a lifelong love of American folk music. To my enormous delight, I "rediscovered" Sam as an undergraduate at UCSD in the seventies. Bless Sam and his family. I cannot imagine a life better lived.
With love,
Lucy

nice site keep it up ok

Sam's impact on the world through his love of music is inspirational.

-Sincerely,
Brooke Mackintosh

I've loved Sam since I first saw him play at my junior high school more than forty-five years ago.

I have loved Sam's music all my life. I was fortunate to know him through my grandfather, Russell Raitt, who lived down the street from him. One of my fondest memories is coming to a children's concert at his house, where he asked us for any requests. I was the first to raise my hand and ask for The Frog Song, a song I still love, and have now played for my two daughters. He was a beautiful man.

This is not a joke, my name is Sam Hinton too. I'm from England and don't know who Sam Hinton did that made him so popular.

old apprecicator since I was a young appreciator

I just found out about Sam and am sorry to hear about his passing. In the 60's I was an admissions evaluator and worked with him at UCSD when my husband was in grad school. I probably don't need to tell you what a wonderful person he was. He was a treasure, and I always felt fortunate to have known him. He definitely made the world around him a better place. Your family must have been very proud of him.
Sincerely,
Nan Williamson

I had the honor of hearins Sam perform many times at southern California folk festivals in the 1980's, and the honor of helping him to carry in all of his vast collection of instruments when I was stage managing at the Claremont Spring Folk Festival one night.

Sam and his music have brought joy to my life. My mainstay warmup song I stole from Sam:

Black socks, they never get dirty.
The longer you wear them
the stronger they get.
Sometimes I think I should wash them,
but something inside me says
'Don't wash them yet!'

Sam, thank you for your gift of music to our world. I miss you.

- Patrick

To Leanne and Adam, and to all the rest of Sam's extended family,

It was so very good to meet you at Sam's memorial celebration. With all the scrap books, pictures and, especially, the wide-screen videos of him performing, I felt like Sam was on the premises.

After 50 years, I arrived in La Jolla knowing not one person in the crowed but, by the time my daughter and I left, I felt that I had made several new friends. In addition to playing my own harmonica songs, singing "Whoever Shall Have Some Good Peanuts" and (my knock-off) "Whoever Shall Have Some Good Chop Suey" with my daughter (for the first time ever in public) was a great blessing to me.

I'm sure that Sam would have approved of every minute of the entire celebration. It was magical and I left Prof. Munk's "Seiche" residence with internal waves of happiness pulsating through my mind and body. A great memory of a great farewell to a great and wonderful man!

Dick Krejsa

In 1972 while I was a freshman at UCI, I stumbled upon a recording of Sam at the Newport Folk Festival and became an avid fan for the next 30+ years. It was only natural that after attending concerts in La Jolla and SDFHS festivals in San Diego that years later I would introduce my children to the wonders of his performances. We shared the joy of hearing sea shantys on the Star of India to his recorded stories and music that we listened to with them at home and on long car rides. So many people enriched by a life well lived and so generously shared! Our condolences to the family and all of us who were made to feel like family as well.

We saw you perform many times and then took our kids to see you. We listened to your songs in the car and tried to sing them ourselves around the campfire. My favorite was when you played the garden hose! We will miss you.

I saw Mr. Hinton perform at Bird Rock elementary in 1985, I was in the second grade. He was a great performer and I've never forgotten his performance.