Saturday, May 7, 2011

Remembering Hazel Dickens


As most of our readers know, Hazel Dickens passed away about two weeks ago, on April 22nd. Amid the many remembrances, here are a few sites that add to spectrum of praise. 

I'd first recommend the Southern Folklife Collection's upcoming series of features on their Field Trip South blog. They are linking to a number of other articles, as well as using their rich archives to offer another view into this remarkable woman's life:
Over the next two weeks, Field Trip South will pay tribute to Hazel Dickens by sharing a variety of materials from her life and career that appear across numerous collections at the SFC.  We hope these glimpses–highlighting her struggles starting a music career while working a day job, her wicked sense of humor, and her truly remarkable music–contribute to the continued appreciation of the living legacy she leaves behind.
Also, as posted on our daily Facebook updates, the aforementioned Dust-to-Digital record label has started an online radio station via Soundcloud--and it features many of the finest vernacular music programs streaming online. Nathan Salsburg's excellent Root Hog or Die radio show is included; last week's show focused on Ms. Dickens's music. Please follow that link to the radio show, as I can't embed it below, and make sure to enjoy the other programs on Dust-to-Digital's Soundcloud page. We can't go wrong being led through the tradition by folks like Mr. Salsburg or Joe Bussard or Art Rosenbaum.

As the Southern Folklife Collection also mentions in their piece, please also consider Appalshop filmmaker Mimi Pickering's Hazel Dickens: It's Hard To Tell The Singer From The Song. Here's an excerpt from Ms. Pickering's film:


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