Utah Phillips has died
Thanks Bob Bossin for writing an obituary of Bruce “Utah” Phillips on rabble.ca. This is crushing, for me. Utah Phillips is the last link I know of to the era of radical unions, political tramps, guitar playing agitators and big ideas.
More of a story teller than a singer, more of a comic than a songwriter, he literally roamed and rambled all his life, keeping alive the songs and stories of the Industrial Workers of the World, as well as other age old protest tunes.
Yes, I know the IWW is still around, but when was the last time you saw them organize a strike? The IWW that Utah remembered and recounted shutdown factories and cities and struck terror into the hearts of the capitalists.
Sigh. When was the last time any trade union did that?
I saw Utah Phillips play a few times. He autographed a copy of the IWW song book for me.
On his recordings he talked about the degenerative heart disease that was cramping his travelling style, and you had to know all that hard travelling was going to take years off a life.
But just knowing he was still there, with all his stories of Frying Pan Jack, Dawdlin’ Bill and of course Joe Hill, kept safe and sound in that tremendous and beautiful physical presence of his, made me feel better.
My heart goes out to his partner and his children, to all who knew him, and to all who loved his music, his stories, his wit and his passionate dedication to peace and justice for working people.
