Stefan Grossman (born April 16, 1945) is an American acoustic fingerstyle guitarist and singer, music producer and educator, and co-founder of Kicking Mule records. He is known for his instructional videos and Vestapol line of videos and DVDs.

Early life and influences

Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Herbert and Ruth Grossman. Grossman described his upbringing, in Queens, New York, as "lower middle-class", and his parents as "very leftist", valuing education and the arts. He began playing guitar at the age of nine, when his father bought him a Harmony f-hole acoustic guitar. Later he moved on to an archtop Gibson guitar which he played between the ages of nine and eleven, taking lessons and learning to read music. For a few years, he gave up playing but resumed again at the age of 15.

Grossman's interest in the Folk revival was sparked by attending the Washington Square Park "Hoots", and he started listening to old recordings of artists such as Elizabeth Cotten, Big Bill Broonzy, Lead Belly, Josh White, Lightnin' Hopkins, Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, Son House, Charlie Patton, Skip James, Blind Blake, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Woody Guthrie.

Charles O'Connor may refer to:

See also

Charles O'Connor (October 26, 1878 – November 15, 1940) was an American lawyer and politician in two midwestern states.

Biography

O'Connor was born on a farm near Edina, Knox County, Missouri son of Charles and Catherine (née McCarthy) O'Connor, and attended the rural schools. He graduated from the State Teachers’ College, Greeley, Colorado, in 1901 and from the law department of the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1904. Admitted to the bar the same year, he commenced practice in Boulder, Colorado. In 1905 he married Elizabeth Buell. They had three sons, one of whom died at a young age.

Career

From 1911 to 1913, O'Connor was the first Assistant Attorney General of Colorado. He became city attorney of Boulder from 1917 through 1918; and then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1919. There he continued the practice of his profession.

Elected as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for one term, O'Connor served from March 4, 1929 to March 3, 1931. He was unsuccessful in his re-election attempt, and resumed his law practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He moved back to Boulder, Colorado, in 1936 because of his failing health.

Charles Andrew O'Connor PC (31 December 1854 – 18 October 1928) was an Irish judge, who served as the last Master of the Rolls in Ireland, and one of the first judges of the Supreme Court of Ireland. His judgement in a crucial habeas corpus case R. (Egan) v. Macready, is still influential.

Background and education

Born on New Year's Eve, 1854, he was the third son of Charles Andrew O'Connor, solicitor, of Roscommon. His mother Catherine was the daughter of C. G. Smyth. O'Connor was educated at St Stanislaus College and went then to Trinity College, Dublin, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1876, and in 1877 was elected Auditor of the College Historical Society. In 1876 he was admitted to the Middle Temple and two years later he was called to the Irish Bar. In 1890 he obtained his Master of Arts.

Judicial career

O'Connor was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1894 and was chosen a bencher after two years. He was appointed First Serjeant in 1907 and became Solicitor-General for Ireland two years later. In 1911 he took over as Attorney-General for Ireland, on which occasion he was sworn of the Privy Council. In the following year, he succeeded as Master of the Rolls in Ireland, which he held until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. O'Connor retained the position in the new state for the next two years until its abolition in 1924. Subsequently he received an appointment as justice at the Supreme Court of the Irish Free State, retiring after one year in 1925. He was one of only two judges of the old regime who were thought worth retaining by the new Government, which acted on the advice of Hugh Kennedy, the first Chief Justice of Ireland, who believed that O'Connor had demonstrated his integrity and independence of mind in the Egan case (below).