Utah Phillips
Bruce "Utah" Duncan Phillips (born May 15, 1935 in Cleveland , Ohio , † May 23, 2008 in Nevada City , California ) was an American folk singer , poet and unionist of the Industrial Workers of the World .
Life
Phillip's parents Edwin and Kathleen were active trade unionists. In his teens, Utah Phillips ran away from home and led the life of a hobo from then on . He took the railroad across the United States and began to write songs about his experiences. In 1956 he joined the US military and served three years. The experiences he gained during this period in post - war Korea shaped his thinking and prompted him to take part in the peace movement. Back in the USA, he went to Salt Lake City and founded the Joe Hill House , named after Joe Hill , with Ammon Hennacy from the Catholic Worker Movement , which supported the homeless and offered social welfare. In the eight years that he worked there, Ammon Hennacy introduced him to the ideas of pacifism and anarchism .
Utah Phillips was musically influenced by country legend Hank Williams , Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, among others . His first album, Good Though! he recorded in 1973, which also features the classic Moose Turd Pie . He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work with Ani DiFranco on The Past Didn't Go Anywhere (1996) and Fellow Workers (1999) .
Utah Phillips died of complications from heart disease.
Web links
- Official website
- Obituary, from: Grassroots Revolution No. 331, September 2008
- Amy Goodman interviews Utah Phillips, January 2004 - zmag.org
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Phillips, Utah |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Phillips, Bruce Utah Duncan |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American musician and trade unionist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 15, 1935 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cleveland , Ohio |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 23, 2008 |
| Place of death | Nevada City , California |