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Oscar Brand was born in 1920 in Winnipeg, Canada. He later moved to
Chicago and traveled throughout America, collecting and performing folk
songs along the way. He is the author of several books on folksong,
including The Ballad Mongers and Bawdy Songs and Backroom
Ballads. He
later became the folk music director for the New York City radio
station WNYC. During his career Brand was blacklisted by the right wing
for performing for Communist front organizations. He was also
blacklisted by the left wing for refusing to perform for other front
organizations.