Died On This Date (April 22, 2011) Hazel Dickens / Bluegrass Icon
themusicsover Hazel Dickens
June 1, 1935 – April 22, 2011
Hazel Dickens was a popular Appalachian bluegrass and folk singer, songwriter and musician who was revered for her beautiful voice as well as for her socially driven lyrics that tended to touch on feminism and pro-union causes. Born into a poor mining family in West Virginia, Dickens became friends with Pete Seeger‘s brother and fellow musician Mike Seeger, who prompted her desire to get involved with the highly active Baltimore-Washington folk music scene of the ’60s. She and Seeger’s wife, Alice Gerard went on to perform and record as Hazel & Alice. By the mid ’70s, Dickens was working as a solo artist. Four of her early recordings can be heard in the award-winning mining documentary, Harlan County, USA. She also appeared in the film as well as Matewan and Songcatcher. Although she stopped putting out albums in the mid ’80s, Dickens could still be found performing live for many years to come, even as recently as at Austin’s SXSW music conference in March of 2011. Hazel Dickens passed away on April 22, 2011. She was 75.
What You Should Own
JP Fraley was a bluegrass fiddler who is considered by many to have been the one of the greatest to ever come out of Kentucky. After years working in the local mines, and later as a sales rep for mining equipment, Fraley became a professional musician. He recorded three albums for the revered roots label, Rounder Records – each one included his wife, Annadeene Fraley on guitar. The two spent most of their lives together, having met as children. Fraley spent much of his time teaching young fiddlers and wrote several instruction books. During the ’70s, Fraley began his annual Mountain Music Gathering which started out as a family reunion but quickly grew into one of the biggest old-time music festivals in northeastern Kentucky. JP Fraley was 87 when he passed away on February 17, 2011.
Bud Reed was a respected bluegrass and old-timey musician who will be forever linked with his wife and musical collaborator, 
Sterling Belcher was a music promoter who founded the Festival of The Pines in Rocky Point, Virginia in 1981. A tireless lover of bluegrass music, Belcher brought such acts as Ralph Stanley, Alison Krauss,