A resident of
Maine for most of his life, in the 1980s Mallett relocated to
Nashville, and released two albums with the folk and blues label
Vanguard. He later moved back to
Maine and established his own label, North Road Records. Mallett's songs have been recorded by more than 150 artists, including
Pete Seeger;
Alison Krauss;
John Denver;
Arlo Guthrie;
Emmylou Harris,
Peter, Paul & Mary;
Bok; Trickett, Muir; and
Makem and Clancy. "Garden Song" was recorded by the
Muppets.
"Garden Song" Mallett wrote "Garden Song" when he was in his early twenties. He had been listening to the radio when he went to help his father plant the garden at his homestead in
Sebec, Maine. With "music in his head and work at his hands," the first verse came while planting: ::Inch by inch, row by row ::Gonna make this garden grow ::All it takes is a rake and hoe ::And a piece of fertile ground Mallett walked around the yard humming it. The next day, he wrote the second verse at a friend’s house. Being only the third or fourth song he'd written, Mallett regarded "Garden Song" as a gift, one that altered the course of his life. It was recorded by
John Denver;
Pete Seeger;
Peter, Paul and Mary; and other acts. The song is likely why the
University of Maine gave Mallett an honorary degree in 2014. and
Alright Now a collection of songs including "Beautiful", dedicated to his daughter Molly. He performed in town halls and folk clubs across America and Europe in addition to major venues such as Barns of Wolf Trap, the
Newport Folk Festival, and
Prairie Home Companion. The
Bangor Daily News recognized him as one of the 58 most memorable Mainers of the 20th Century. The readers of
Folkwax voted him "2003 Artist of the Year" and his album
Artist in Me as "2003 Album of the Year".
Death Mallett died from cancer on December 17, 2024, at the age of 73. ==Legacy==