My hero is gone.
Last night I was shocked and deeply saddened to read the news that Utah Phillips passed away at the end of May. I normally make a habit of checking up on the news surrounding Utah, but several months went by without my looking to see what was new, and my heart sunk last night while looking to see if he was on tour and finding out he had passed away of a heart attack on May 23rd. Utah was a living hero for me and someone whom I held very, very close to my heart. My world seems to have a big void in it upon hearing of his passing…he represented such hope to me, such righteousness and inspiration. There never was nor will there ever be another soul with the specific blend of kindness, humor, compassion and wisdom as Utah Phillips.
I don’t even know how to explain this amazing man to those of you who are not familiar with his work. Here is an excerpt from Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now program in dedication to Utah Phillips. Consequently, if you are interested in seeing interviews with Utah, this set of videos of the program recently posted on Youtube in memory of him are well worth a big cup of tea and an hour of your life. I promise you will walk away smiling, inspired, and touched by the powerful spirit of this man.
Utah Phillips, the legendary folk musician and peace and labor activist, has died at the age of seventy-three. Over the span of nearly four decades, Utah Phillips worked in what he referred to as “the Trade,” performing tirelessly throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. The son of labor organizers, Phillips was a lifelong member of the Industrial Workers of the World, known as the Wobblies. As a teenager, he ran away from home and started living as a hobo who rode the rails and wrote songs about his experiences. In 1956, he joined the Army and served in the Korean War, an experience he would later refer to as the turning point of his life. In 1968, he ran for the US Senate on the Peace and Freedom Party
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In Memory Of Utah Phillips ...
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