NORMAL - The man in black at the Normal Public Library Sunday was not Johnny Cash, but some of the songs he performed involved issues that Cash tackled.

Chicago-based folk singer Bucky Halker played folk songs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries for a crowd of about 35. In the spirit of Bob Dylan circa 1963, Halker played an acoustic guitar and a harmonica on a harmonica holder, and sang to the audience.

Between songs he gave information about the early American labor movement in order to shed light on some of the subject matter of the songs he was performing, many of which dealt with the difficult lives of coal miners.

Halker played "The Dying Miner" by Woody Guthrie, "Coal Dust On My Grave" by Orville Jenks, "What Will the Coal Miners Do" and "The Dying Mine Brakeman," the last of which, written by Jenks, was performed by Cash as "The Reckless Motorman."

Halker stood in front of a dry erase board which listed prominent folk singers and organizations which were integral to the labor movement such as the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the United Mine Workers of America.

Halker also injected harsh criticism of modern country music into his performance, saying he'd like to burn down all of Nashville except a six-block area in the downtown which includes the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry.

"If I could find Toby Keith's house, that would be perfect," he said.

Halker added that in the 1980s country music became a "haven for third-rate rock and roll players," who used pedal steel guitars just to give their music a "right-wing edge" so that everybody knew what their political beliefs were.

Halker's performance was part of a series of events organized by the Normal and Bloomington public libraries in order to promote the book "The Coal Tattoo" by Silas House. House will give a presentation April 16 at the Community Players Theater.