Utah Phillips

Bruce " Utah " Duncan Phillips ( born May 15, 1935 in Cleveland, Ohio; † 23 May 2008 Nevada City, California ) was an American folk singer, poet and trade unionist as a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.

Life

Phillips parents Edwin and Kathleen were active trade unionists. As a teenager Utah Phillips ripped from home and henceforth led the life of a hobos. He took the train through the United States and began writing songs about his experiences. In 1956, he joined the U.S. military and did three years service. His experience, which he gained during this time in post-war Korea, influenced his thinking and led him to participate in the peace movement. Back in the U.S., he went to Salt Lake City, where he founded with Ammon Hennacy from the Catholic Worker Movement after the Joe Hill named Joe Hill House, which supported the homeless and social assistance offered. In the eight years that he worked there, he was made ​​familiar by Ammon Hennacy, with the ideas of pacifism and anarchism.

Musical influences was Utah Phillips, among others, the country legend Hank Williams, from Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. His first album, Good Though! he took on in 1973, it is heard also the classic Moose Turd Pie. For his work with Ani DiFranco on The Past Did not Go Anywhere (1996) and Fellow Workers ( 1999), he was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Utah Phillips died of heart disease.