May 30, 2008
Utah Phillips, 1935-2008
Photo of Utah Phillips by Steven Stone.
U. Utah Phillips, 73, a Grammy-nominated folk singer, rabble-rouser and anarchist whose wild white beard recalled his years as a tramp, died of heart disease May 23 at his home in Nevada City, Calif.
Mr. Phillips, over four decades on the road, combined storytelling with song, describing the plight of the working class, the power of labor unions and the necessity of direct action. He dubbed himself the “Golden Voice of the Great Southwest,” but, like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, his words, more than his baritone voice, carried authority. He had been a soldier, a railroader, a state archivist, a union organizer, founder of a homeless shelter and homeless himself.
Read more.
comments
3 Responses to “Utah Phillips, 1935-2008”
Leave a Reply
I had the privilege of hearing him perform in Pittsburgh a few years back. He will be missed.
Oh, I hadn’t heard this. My friend Dave will be heartbroken. This is Utah and John Stewart both in the space of a few months.
Cooper, your friend Dave (and other folks) may be interested to read this excerpt from a 2004 interview with Phillips. An archival colleague, Jordon Steele, posted it on the Archives Issues blog; the full interview, he notes, is available in streaming audio and video on the Democracy Now! website.