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JOHN LOCKE, 64, FOLK MUSICIAN (August 26th, Columbus Dispatch)
 When asked his age, Locke said: "Oh, I'm ancient. I'm 64, but in my head I'm 18."
The multi-instrumentalist, professional speaker and horticulturist who bills himself as an "Englishman abroad" has served as president of the Columbus Folk Music Society since last year.
He plays guitar and harmonica, and "is known to get a tune out of a banjo and a pennywhistle," he said
A native of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, England, Locke came to folk music "purely by accident."
A friend suggested they go to a folk club on a New Year's Eve.
His response: "What on earth is a folk club, and why would I go there?"
Still, he recalled, "After about 30 minutes I'm thinking, 'This is good stuff.' Before you know it, I've bought a guitar."
Before moving to central Ohio with his wife, a native, Locke managed folk clubs in England and Wales, and hosted various concerts and festivals.
Folk music, he said, has always fed his primary interests of history, geography and storytelling -- especially humorous storytelling.
His vision and experience, said Nancy Cline Bailey, a former society president, gives the organization a "cultural authenticity."
Plus, she said, "He's just a really genuinely nice guy."
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