Bruce Duncan Phillips (1935 - 2008)

Ancestors

Utah Phillips - The Long Memory

“Yes, the long memory is the most radical idea in this country. It is the loss of that long memory which deprives our people of that connective flow of thoughts and events that clarifies our vision, not of where we're going, but where we want to go.” ― Utah Phillips

Biography

Bruce "Utah" Phillips was born May 15, 1935 in Cleveland, Ohio, the child of Edwin Phillips and Frances Coates. "Utah" Phillips was a self proclaimed anarchist and pacifist, American labor organizer, storyteller extraordinaire, poet, folk singer and songwriter. An avid supporter of labor struggles, he was a member of various socio-political organizations and groups throughout his lifetime. In solidarity with the poor, he was an honorary member of Dignity Village, a homeless community and one of the founders of Hospitality House, a nonprofit shelter for the Homeless in Nevada County, California^[1]. Dubbed the "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest" and armed with the passionate belief that people can change the world, Utah Phillips crafted his passion into his music, words and activism. In 1997, he was recognized by the North American Folk Alliance for a lifetime achievement award.

Phillips met folk singer Rosalie Stringfellow in the early 1950s, and remained a close friend of hers. Sorrels started playing the songs that Phillips wrote, and through her his music began to spread. He first recorded in 1961, and released Debut Album, " Nobody Knows Me", Prestige Records. He did not begin performing in earnest until the late 60s after moving to Sarasota Springs, New York, where he performed a regular slot at the Café Lena. Phillips traveled around the USA, playing at free concerts and for trade unionists; he specialized in union and railroad travelling songs.

Fellow Workers.

Utah Phillips has worked with other artists such as Rosalie Sorrels , Ani DiFranco and many others. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work with DiFranco in 2000; Best Contemporary Folk Album: Fellow Workers.

Phillips died May 23, 2008^[2] in Nevada City, California, from complications of heart disease, at the age of 73.

Research Notes

Military- Korean War

Sources

1. ↑ Utah’s Place https://hhshelter.org/about/u-utah-phillips/
2. ↑ Folksinger, Storyteller, Railroad Tramp Utah Phillips Dead at 73. The offical Obituary as provided by the family, May 24, 2008. Industrial Workers of the World https://www.iww.org/history/biography/UtahPhillips/1

• http://thelongmemory.com/
• http://www.democracynow.org/2008/5/27/utah_phillips_1935_2008_legendary_folk
• http://www.thefreight.org/bums-plush-duncan-phillips-friends
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Phillips