Hazel Dickens : a brief biography by Bill C. Malone --Songs and Memories by Hazel Dickens. Hazel Dickens: It's Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song, 2001. Her songs of hard work, hard times, and hardy souls have bolstered working people at picket lines and union rallies throughout the land. [6] Dickens began to be seen as an activist and a voice for the working people.[7]. Hansell, Tom; Beaver, Patricia & Wiley, Angela, (2015). She recorded four songs for the soundtrack to the Academy Award-winning documentary about coal mining, Harlan County, USA. From this petite, wiry frame came an unexpectedly powerful voice. This is an excerpt from the documentary Hazel Dickens: It’s Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song directed by Mimi Pickering. In the same year her story was told in the documentary Hazel Dickens: It's Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song. The obituary was featured in Legacy on April 25, 2011. Anna Johnson, Darlington rond. Cultural blogger John Pietaro noted that "Dickens didn’t just sing the anthems of labor, she lived them and her place on many a picket line, staring down gunfire and goon squads, embedded her into the cause." For licensing, film rights and permissions, contact The biography of Hazel Dickens would appear to follow the typical trajectory of many young rural Appalachian women from rural West Virginia raised in coal-mining communities in the 1950s. Hazel Dickens? Protest and folksinger Hazel Dickens grew up the eighth of 11 children in a large, poor mining family in West Virginia, and she used elements of country and bluegrass to spread truth about two causes close to her heart: the plight of non-unionized mineworkers and feminism, born not of the '60s movement but traditional values. Popular Hazel Dickens albums Heart of a Singer. She died on April 22, 2011 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She was herself the subject of a documentary, Hazel Dickens: It’s Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song (2001). ?Harlan County USA? There is a short biography, followed by the lyrics of many of Hazel's songs with brief comments from Hazel herself. [2] She met Mike Seeger, younger half-brother of Pete Seeger and founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers and became active in the Baltimore-Washington area bluegrass and folk music scene during the 1960s. . The duo produced four classic LPs (recently reissued by Rounder on CD) and influenced scores of young women singers — even The Judds acknowledge Hazel and Alice as an important early inspiration. Many of Hazels's relatives were miners, including her brothers, cousins, and, eventually, her brothers-in-law.[1][2]. Featuring a haunting soundtrack, with legendary country and bluegrass artists Hazel Dickens, Merle Travis, Sarah Gunning, and Florence Reece, the film is a heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line. From the coalfields of West Virginia to the factories of Baltimore, Hazel Dickens has lived the songs she sings. --Goldenseal "All fans of traditional music and students of feminism, southern culture, and labor movements, should read and revel in Working Girl Blues.--PopMatters The obituary was featured in Legacy on April 25, 2011. "[17], Dickens received the Merit Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in 1994 and was the first woman to do so. Protest and folksinger Hazel Dickens grew up the eighth of 11 children in a large, poor mining family in West Virginia, and she used elements of country and bluegrass to spread truth about two causes close to her heart: the plight of non-unionized mineworkers and feminism, born not of the '60s movement but traditional values. . Her … Seeger introduced Gerrard to Hazel Dickens, a West Virginia-born singer living in Baltimore, Maryland who had a passion for classic Appalachian folk songs. Genres: Bluegrass, Appalachian Folk Music. Her three solo … Albums include Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways, Songcatcher, and Classic Labor Songs. The cause was complications of pneumonia, said Ken Irwin, her longtime friend… Dickens died Friday morning at a Washington hospice of complications from pn Hazel Dickens was born in downstate West Virginia in coal country- her family members were coal miners. Dickens was born in Montcalm, Mercer County, West Virginia on June 1, 1925, the eighth of eleven siblings born to a mining family. Well, in this documentary there is a ton of really great rural music and raw, from-the-soul singing throughout. I enjoyed reading it, but was left wanting more background, analysis, and comparisons with other musicians similar to her, either historical or contemporary. She was 75 and had complications from pneumonia. In the 1960s, Dickens teamed up with another singer, Alice Gerrard, and together they brought a strong feminist viewpoint to traditional music. Hazel Jane Dickens (June 1, 1925[a] – April 22, 2011) was an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, double bassist and guitarist. Her … Hazel Jane Dickens (June 1, 1925 – April 22, 2011) was an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, double bassist and guitarist. [12][13], Stating that "music saves mountains," fans and supporters of Dickens' activism announced a special memorial, Tribute to West Virginia Music Legend Hazel Dickens at the Charleston, West Virginia Cultural Center on June 5, 2011. Hazel Dickens’s compelling voice and eloquent songs first reached a large American public in the soundtrack ofHarlan County, USA,a 1976 Academy Award–winning documentary film that told of a protracted and dramatic strike in the eastern Kentucky coalfields. New York Times April 22, 2011 Hazel Dickens, Folk Singer, Dies at 75 By BILL FRISKICS-WARREN Hazel Dickens, a clarion-voiced advocate for coal miners and working people and a pioneer among women in bluegrass music, died on Friday in Washington. . Born in Mercer County, West Virginia on June 1, 1935, Hazel Dickens is considered to be one of the more influential women in bluegrass and traditional folk music. The documentary film Hazel Dickens: It’s hard to tell the singer from the song (Appalshop, 1987), and Dickens recent autobiography, co-written with country music scholar Bill Malone, Working Girl Blues: the life and music of Hazel Dickens (University of Illinois Press, 2008), provide remarkable insight into the creative life of an artist as Hazel reflects on her own career. Directed by Barbara Kopple. [10][11] After her death, it was reported in major media that she had been born on June 1, 1935, but her relatives and public records confirmed the earlier date of June 1, 1925. Protest and folksinger Hazel Dickens grew up the eighth of 11 children in a large, poor mining family in West Virginia, and she used elements of country and bluegrass to spread truth about two causes close to her heart: the plight of non-unionized mineworkers and feminism, born not of the '60s movement but traditional values. From this petite, wiry frame came an unexpectedly powerful voice. I was watching the documentary "Harlan County, USA" last night with my in-laws because my wifes mother lived in Harlan County and remembers the strike in the '30's. Courtesy of Appalshop. Three years later, she contributed to the soundtrack for With Babies and Banners and began a solo career five years later. 1998 A Few Old Memories. She was the eighth child of an eleven-child mining family in West Virginia. Alice Gerrard looms as a towering female figure in a world that was once the domain of male musicians and business leaders. In this intimate portrait, interviews with Hazel and fellow musicians such as Alison Krauss, Naomi Judd, and Dudley Connell are interwoven with archival footage, recent performances, and 16 powerful songs including “Mama’s Hand,” “ Working Girl Blues,” and “Black Lung.”. Please help us preserve films on American folklife. In this rare video from 1978, she sings one of her most treasured songs. Dickens was the first woman to receive the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Merit Award. The Washington Post described her as "a living legend of American music, a national treasure," and in 2001, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded her a National Heritage Fellowship. Her music was characterized not only by her high, lonesome singing style, but also by her provocative pro-union, feminist songs. "Hazel Dickens is an icon, and it is about time a book-length biography was published about her. View their obituary at Legacy.com Bishop.Hcr malden name was Misa Hazel … She no doubt helped pave the way for other female musicians, whether in bluegrass, pop, punk, and beyond. Albums include Classic Mountain Songs From Smithsonian Folkways, Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways, and Hand-Picked: 25 Years of Bluegrass Music on Rounder Records. Her music is characterized by not only her "high lonesome" singing style, but also by … Remembering Hazel Dickens Born in West Virginia, Hazel Dickens recorded twice for Folkways Records and was a frequent participant of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, appearing some fifteen times. Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, 1975. Hazel Dickens was born on June 1, 1935 in Montcalm, West Virginia, USA as Hazel Jane Dickens. Genres: Bluegrass, Appalachian Folk Music. Starting in the early 1960s with singing partner Hazel Dickens, she helped open the doors for a host of up-and-coming women performers and entrepreneurs in the fields of bluegrass and old-time music. Dickens and Gerrard were bluegrass bandleaders at a time when the vast majority of bluegrass bands were led by men. The songs in the clip are the powerful and moving “Mannington Mines” and “They’ll Never Keep Us Down.” Her piercing vocals power the soundtracks for Harlan County USA and Matewan. Interviews with Hazel and fellow musicians such as Alison Krauss, Naomi Judd, and Dudley Connell are interwoven with archival footage, recent performances, and 16 songs including “Mama’s Hand,” “ Working Girl Blues,” and “Black Lung.” Folksinger Hazel Dickens, a pioneer for women in bluegrass music, died Friday. the filmmaker the distributor Appalshop, Inc., or Folkstreams. Hazel Jane Dickens (June 1, 1925 – April 22, 2011) was an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, double bassist and guitarist. True to form, Appalshop has produced quite a line-up for the series—Sunny Side of Life, Sourwood Mountain Dulcimers, From Wood to Singing Guitar, Hazel Dickens: It’s Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song, Quilting Women, The Ralph Stanley Story, Strangers and Kin: A History of the Hillbilly Image, and His Eye is on the Sparrow. She was 75. ... USA," Barbara Kopple's 1976 Oscar-winning documentary about Kentucky coal miners. Dickens was born liero July 23, 1900, tho daughter ot Mr. and Mre. The New York Times extolled her as "a clarion-voiced advocate for coal miners and working people and a pioneer among women in bluegrass music." Earl Gilmore, The Rices and Hazel Dickens at Highlander's Coal Mining Music Workshop Other outlets for Hazel’s music were found in the 1986 film Matewan; a 2002 documentary about her life titled for her most recent Rounder release, It’s Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song; and a 1996 trio recording, Heart of a Singer, that paired her with tradition-based performers Carol Elizabeth Jones and … The book reads like an extended series of conversations with Hazel Dickens herself. Biography. She appeared in the films Matewan and The Songcatcher as well as in the documentary Harlan County USA. In this rare video from 1978, she sings one of her most treasured songs. During this time she also established a collaborative relationship with Mike Seeger's wife, Alice Gerrard, and as "Hazel & Alice" recorded two albums for the Folkways label:[3] Who's That Knocking (And Other Bluegrass Country Music) (1965) and Won't You Come & Sing for Me (1973). Her music was characterized not only by her high, lonesome singing style, but also by her provocative pro-union, feminist songs. In her 20’s she moved to the Baltimore area and became very active in the folk- bluegrass music scene in the Baltimore -Washington, D.C. area. Her strong, distinctive voice holds within it the suffering and the life force of her people. During a graphic description of the ravages wrought by pneumoconiosis midway through the documentary, Hazel is heard singing her … solo career began with the soundtrack to an Academy Award-winning documentary film about a violent miner?s strike. Fresh Air remembers the feminist role model with excerpts from a 1987 interview. Her music is characterized by not only her "high lonesome" singing style, but also by … Hazel Dickens passed away. Harlan County, USA is a 1976 American documentary film covering the "Brookside Strike" a 1973 effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the Duke Power Company-owned Eastover Coal Company's Brookside Mine and Prep Plant in Harlan County, southeast Kentucky.It won the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 49th Academy Awards. She appeared in the Oscar winning documentary Harlan County, USA, about the struggle of the county's miners union against scab workers, wage rights, and health conditions; sung about on the picket line in her folk songs as well as contributing those four songs to the soundtrack of the film. Hazel Dickens was known for her activism on behalf of non-unionized mineworkers. [18][2], a. From the coalfields of West Virginia to the factories of Baltimore, Hazel Dickens has lived the songs she sings. Hazel Dickens (June 1, 1935, - April 22, 2011, born Mercer County, West Virginia) an American bluegrass singer. Hazel Dickens was a musical pioneer for women and the working class. HAZEL DICKENS John Dickens, aged 24, died last evening at her honie on Vino Bt., following two years' Illness of complications.Mrs. Hazel Dickens was born in Montcalm, Mercer County, West Virginia on June 1, 1925, the eighth of eleven siblings in a mining family of 6 boys and 5 girls. Biography During the early to mid-1960s, Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, two friends living in the Baltimore/Washington DC area started to play bluegrass music together-a heretofore almost exclusively male bastion-creating a style, a repertoire, and a consciousness … She appeared in the documentary Harlan County USA in 1970- four of her songs including Mannington Mine Disaster are on that outstanding … Protest and folksinger Hazel Dickens grew up the eighth of 11 children in a large, poor mining family in West Virginia, and she used elements of country and bluegrass to spread truth about two causes close to her heart: the plight of non-unionized mineworkers and feminism, born not of the '60s movement but traditional values. WASHINGTON (AP) - Hazel Dickens, a folk singer and bluegrass musician who advocated for coal miners, has died at age 75. ^ Sources vary on birth date; see talk page discussion, American bluegrass musician, singer, and activist, Films in which Dickens contributes to the soundtrack, Hazel Dickens: It's Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song, International Bluegrass Music Association, "Remembering Hazel Dickens: A Feminist Bluegrass Voice", "Hazel Dickens Inspires New Generation of Musicians", "Harlan County, USA | Big Sky Documentary Film Festival", "Hazel Dickens dies at 75; bluegrass pioneer and social activist", "Strange Creek Singers: Get Aquatinted Waltz - Strange Creek Singers - Songs, Reviews, Credits", "57 Champions of Queer Feminism, All Name-Dropped in One Impossibly Catchy Song", Dickens Discography at Smithsonian Folkways, Criterion Films Collection Harlan County, USA, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hazel_Dickens&oldid=999307128, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "They'll Never Keep Us Down" (Rounder Records, 1976) – for the film, "Busted" / "Old Calloused Hands" (Rounder Records, 1980) – from the album. From the coalfields of West Virginia to the factories of Baltimore, Hazel Dickens has lived the songs she sings. [5] She wrote a song titled "Coal Mining Women" about the hardships women faced in the coal mining world. Earl Gilmore, The Rices and Hazel Dickens at Highlander's Coal Mining Music Workshop Dickens was the eighth of 11 children in a family that struggled hard to make a living in an area where coalmining was the sole industry. Hazel Dickens grew up the eighth of 11 children in a poor mining family in West Virginia. Dickens was featured in a number of films, including Songcatcher; Matewan, about the West Virginia mine wars; and the Oscar-winning Harlan County, U.S.A., for which she wrote original music. She was 75. Hazel Dickens’s compelling voice and eloquent songs first reached a large American public in the soundtrack ofHarlan County, USA,a 1976 Academy Award–winning documentary film that told of a protracted and dramatic strike in the eastern Kentucky coalfields.During a graphic description of the ravages wrought by pneumoconiosis midway through the documentary, Hazel is heard singing her … 1987 By the Sweat of My Brow. I have sat in music jams with Hazel at local fiddler's conventions hereabouts and always found her to be modest and generous, though naturally her voice dominates where her personality does not. Reel South -You Gave Me A Song Remembering Hazel Dickens Born in West Virginia, Hazel Dickens recorded twice for Folkways Records and was a frequent participant of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, appearing some fifteen times. In the same year her story was told in the documentary Hazel Dickens: It's Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song. Hazel Dickens was an Appalachian singer and songwriter known for her superb musicianship, feminist country songs, union anthems, and blue-collar laments. This page was last edited on 9 January 2021, at 14:40. With Alice Gerrard, Dickens was one of the first women to record a bluegrass album. Interviews with Hazel and fellow musicians such as Alison Krauss, Naomi Judd, and Dudley Connell are interwoven with archival footage, recent performances, and 16 songs including “Mama’s Hand,” “ Working Girl Blues,” and “Black Lung.” Documentary by Mimi Pickering. Hard To Tell The Singer From The Song profiles a "modern" woman dealing with contemporary issues from a feminist perspective which has evolved from her own experiences, being Appalachian, being displaced physically and culturally, being poor and working class, being a woman artist in a man's world, and being a bearer of tradition. In the early 1950s she moved to Baltimore. Her songs on coal mining caught the attention of producer-director Barbara Kopple, who asked her to provide material for HARLAN COUNTY USA’s … MUS. Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard discography and songs: Music profile for Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard. Hazel Dickens (June 1, 1935, - April 22, 2011, born Mercer County, West Virginia) an American bluegrass singer. From the Mike Seeger Collection (#20009) On Monday, May 11th, Reel South, a cooperative documentary series among the South’s PBS-member stations, will make the Alice Gerrard documentary You Gave Me A Song available to stream. BIOGRAPHY: Hazel Dickens grew up in the coal-mining country of West Virginia, and the harsh conditions in which her family lived and worked deeply affected her and her art. The singer and songwriter Hazel Dickens was one of the women who changed the face of American country music. In the early 1950s she moved to Baltimore. 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