Larry Hoyt, 75, died March 14. Hoyt had been a fixture in Syracuse's folk music scene. Credit: Courtesy of Tommy Honan | tommyhonanphotography.com

It was a Sunday afternoon, and Larry Hoyt was in the midst of “Common Threads,” his WAER-FM show devoted to folk, roots and Americana music. He informed listeners that the next song would be “Home of the Blues,” first recorded by Johnny Cash in 1958. 

This wasn’t one of Cash’s major hits, but Hoyt liked the tune and played it on a fairly regular basis. He had the freedom to do that because of his DJ slot at WAER, a non-commercial station. It’s affiliated with the Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University and with National Public Radio. There was no pressure to fit into a set format or play certain songs.

Hoyt made his name in Syracuse’s music community. He was a staple in the folk music scene. For more than 25 years, Hoyt guided “Common Threads” down an independent course. On March 14, Hoyt died. He had left Common Threads in December because of health issues. 

In reflecting on the program’s quarter-century history, it’s worth noting that Hoyt’s choice of music was expansive, broad-based. Yes, he played material by folk icons such as Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Joni Mitchell. Yes, he was fond of work by Bob Dylan, Alison Krause and Merle Haggard. 

However, the show wasn’t built on an exclusive  “A” list of personal favorites. Along the way, Hoyt connected with bands like Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters, with their mix of bluegrass and country; with Truckstop Honeymoon, best known for their song “The Walk of Shame”; with artists such as Rhiannon Giddens and Slaid Cleaves. 

During an afternoon, listeners might hear John Lennon singing “Imagine,” Gordon Lightfoot doing “Early Morning Rain” and Odetta’s “It’s a Mighty World.”

Beyond that, “Common Threads” really took an alternative turn with its embrace of musicians from Central New York. That didn’t happen every once and while. Rather, local talent was integrated into the show on an ongoing basis. 

Indeed, Hoyt played tunes by the Cadleys (John and Cathy), by Karen Savoca and Peter Heitzman, who perform as a duo, by Mike Powell and Joanne Shenandoah. “Sky Diver,” Dana Cooke’s tale of ridding the Ferris wheel at a county fair, and “Democracy,” the Burns Sisters’ powerful cover of the Leonard Cohen song, both aired on “Common Threads.”

And there were interviews with CNY musicians such as Colleen Kattau, a vocalist/songwriter, and Colin Aberdeen, a solo performer and the frontman for Los Blancos. Hoyt also invited groups like Ruddy Well Band to perform live on the air. 

His links to local musicians weren’t limited to the show. He played out as a solo act, as part of the 1990s group Tattered Hoyt, in the band Larry Hoyt and the Good Acoustics. 

There were other involvements as well. He took part in jams at Kellish Farms, ran open-mike sessions at several venues, coordinated the Second Saturday concert series at the Westcott Community Center.  At various times, he reviewed albums for the Syracuse New Times and the Post-Standard. 

In the aftermath of Larry Hoyt’s passing, several musicians praised his support for the Syracuse music community. In a March 15 Facebook post, Ryan Burdick wrote about connecting with Larry as a member of the Rudy Well Band and then as a solo performer. Hoyt played his songs on “Common Threads,” attended a couple of his gigs around town, was interested in his albums.

Burdick wrote “Thank you Larry for believing in me. Thank you for providing me not only with opportunities to be heard and to grow, but also for years of confirmation that I have something of value to offer our musical community.”

Similarly, in a phone interview, Dana  “Short Order” Cooke reminisced about interacting with Hoyt at the Happy Endings Coffee House, in Armory Square, on an open-mike night during the 1990s. “He listened to me perform and told me that I should be playing out,” Cooke said. “Later he played some of my songs on the air and twice interviewed me on ‘Common Threads’.”

In addition, Cooke was impressed by Hoyt’s support for a range of local musicians and his self-effacing attitude. “He was a person without an agenda,” Cooke said. 

Further recognition came at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society where Michael Messina-Yauchzy and other volunteers organized an exhibition of 29 of Hoyt’s artworks — paintings, photographs and drawings. The exhibit, which wraps up March 29, generated sales of seven works and several donations, taking in nearly $1,000 Those proceeds are being split between WAER, the Westcott Community Center and the ARC of Onondaga. 

Messina-Yauchzy says the remaining artworks will be on sale during the Westcott Art Trail which is scheduled for Saturday, June 15.  There are also plans to have a memorial event during May or June. 

“Common Threads” isn’t fading into the mists of local broadcast history. Chris Bolt, WAER’s general manager, says the station is committed to having the show on the air again and to preserving its connection to the Syracuse music community. 

WAER has already interviewed several candidates for the DJ position, a couple of whom are local musicians. One issue has been the difficulty of finding a person who can host the show every Sunday. Bolt said several possibilities are being considered. One is a hybrid format in which one person is the primary host and a second individual acts as a back-up host. Those logistics are being worked out.  

He said having “Common Threads” on the air checks several boxes: It fits in with WAER’s Sunday schedule which emphasizes gospel, blues, world and other forms of music. It showcases folk/acoustic music, a genre not well represented on local airwaves. 

And it builds on the show’s presence on WAER for 25 years. Bolt said  that over the years there’s been positive feedback from a bunch of listeners who mentioned “Common Threads” while renewing their support for the station. “That wasn’t just the Syracuse audience,” he said. “We’ve received comments from people living in Ohio and Florida.”

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Carl Mellor has done freelance writing for roughly 50 years. He contributed articles to the Syracuse New Times for many years and covered visual arts for that newspaper from 1994 thorugh 2019. He continues...