Hazel Dickens
April 23, 2011 · Posted in Misc
Hazel Dickens, 1935-2011
Hazel Dickens passed away yesterday. She was one of the first women to front a bluegrass band, and in doing so opened the world of bluegrass and old-time music to a new audience of musicians and listeners. Throughout her long career she was an advocate for unions and working people, particularly for coal miners. Her song “Black Lung” paid tribute to her brother who died of that horrible disease. When I began my very first blog more than a decade ago, I put a quote from Hazel Dickens on the masthead: “Just playing bluegrass music is political.”
Thank you, Hazel, for so much wonderful, powerful music.
Here’s a video of her singing “West Virginia, My Home.”
You Might Also Like:
Comments
Leave a Reply
My Photos
