San Diego Music Hall of Fame®
Lou Curtiss – Former Folk Arts Rare Records owner promoted concerts & ran a retail record store in San Diego for nearly a half a century.
Inducted 2018
Lou Curtiss
A man who wore many hats, all of them music-related, Lou Curtiss was a longtime researcher & archivist for the Smithsonian Institution & the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center. He & his wife Virginia ran the San Diego Friends of Old Time Music & founded Folk Arts Rare Records, which served as the local folk music hub from 1967 until 2014, when the Curtisses retired.
Known for his significant impact on such diverse San Diego-bred artists as Tom Waits, Alison Brown, Jack Tempchin, RuPaul, A.J. Croce & 2012 “American Idol” finalist Jessica Sanchez, Lou Curtiss’ legacy is one of traditions preserved, artists connected, & passion for American folk music.
Paraphrased from the San Diego Union-Tribune:
Obituary – “Lou Curtiss, a key mentor to Tom Waits, Jack Tempchin and other musicians, has died at 79” by GEORGE VARGA, SD Union-Tribune, JULY 10, 2018