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David Fisher, lead tenor of the 1960s folk group The Highwaymen, died last Friday at his home in Rye, NY, aged 69. A family friend reported that Fisher died of the rare blood disease myelofibrosis.

Fisher was born July 19, 1940, in New Haven, CT, and began his musical career in high school as a member of a doo-wop group called The Academics. He then went on to form a folk group called The Clansmen while at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. The other members were Bob Burnett, Steve Butts, Chan Daniels and Steve Trott. After graduation, they moved to New York and became part of the Greenwich Village folk scene.

The Clansmen became The Highwaymen at the suggestion of their manager, who noted the racial connotations of their existing name in the American South. The Highwaymen was a nod to a poem by Alfred Noyes.

The Highwaymen are best known for their version of the traditional song “Michael Row the Boat Ashore,” which they recorded in 1959 and abbreviated to “Michael.” It was originally a B-side in that year, but two years later experienced a resurgence as DJs began playing it. “Michael” would become The Highwaymen’s only number one.

The Highwaymen’s next biggest hit was a cover of Leadbelly’s “Cotton Fields,” which hit the top 20 in 1962.

The original Highwaymen broke up in 1964 after releasing the album “The Spirit and the Flesh.” In total, the band had released eight albums and 10 singles. Among these releases was the album “One More Time,” which featured the first cover of “Universal Soldier” by Buffy St. Marie, as well as the Ewan McColl-Peggy Seeger-authored “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” There were also two live albums, “Hootenanny with The Highwaymen” and “Homecoming.”

A new line up did carry on under the name for a further three years, with David Fisher as musical director. This line up included Renny Temple, Roy Connors, Mose Henry and Allan Shaw. All but Shaw had been members of the folk group The Vikings Three.

David Fisher spent the next thirty years in Los Angeles composing, arranging, editing and supervising music for TV and film for most of the major studios. In 2002, David Fisher released his only solo album, “Love’s Way.”

For the last 20 years of his life, Fisher also performed several times a year with the original members of The Highwaymen, who had regrouped in the mid-80s at a college reunion. The only member missing was Chan Daniels, who had died in 1975. The Highwaymen’s last gig was in August 2009.

Those interested in hearing more from The Highwaymen are well served by the 2007 compilation “Highwaymen – The Folk Hits Collection.” This features:

1. I’ll Fly Away
2. Cotton Fields
3. Marching to Pretoria
4. Cindy, Oh Cindy
5. Michael (Row the Boat Ashore)
6. Sinking of the Reuben James
7. Mighty Day
8. Well, Well, Well
9. Gypsy Rover
10. I Know Where I’m Going
11. Roll on Columbia, Roll On
12. I’m on My Way
13. Ramblin’ Boy
14. Red Is the Rose
15. Whiskey in the Jar
16. Big Rock Candy Mountain
17. Good Night Irene
18. No. 1
19. Old Folk Music (With Some Sweet Rock ‘N’ Roll).