Friday, December 29, 2023

Working Girl Blues: The Life and Music of Hazel Dickens by Hazel Dickens and Bill C. Malone

 


Reviewed by Jeanne

While women have had a long and illustrious history as part of country music, bluegrass was pretty much a male dominated genre—at least until Hazel Dickens came along.  According to Malone’s introduction, she was one of the first women performers in this type of music.  Born in 1935 in Mercer County, West Virginia, Dickens was one of eleven children.  Her father cut and sold timber to mining companies while several of her relatives (brothers, cousins, and such) went to work inside the mines.  As a young woman, she was part of the exodus from the hills to cities farther north—in Dicken’s case, Baltimore—but took with her a love of music. She grew up listening to all sorts of country music as well as Primitive Baptist songs.  While Baltimore was difficult, she also made some important connections that helped her transition from the shy, socially awkward girl into the acclaimed singer, songwriter, and activist.

One of those contacts was Mike Seeger, who was impressed by Dickens’ firm grasp on her music.  She had very definite opinions on how the music should sound and wasn’t afraid to give those opinions.  She also had begun to try her hand at songwriting. The rest is music history.

The book is divided up into two main sections.  The first, written by Malone, covers Dicken’s life up to 2008.  I found it fascinating reading:  Dickens’ life was a hard one, but she never backed down.  The second part contains the lyrics to her songs and Dicken’s commentary on what inspired each one.  There is no sheet music, however.

While I love music, I’m no expert; I can’t say exactly what constitutes specific musical genres. What I can say is that when I listen to Hazel Dickens sing, I hear the “high lonesome sound” so beloved of bluegrass fans; to me, it’s also the sound of the traditional ballad singers—not the folk revival versions, but from the hills.  Her songs are in the 60s protest tradition, but Dickens’ songs are grittier and definitely personal.  She sings from experience and her heart. One of her best known songs is “Black Lung,” which was inspired after her brother’s death from that dread disease.  Listening to it, I was stuck by both the pain and the power.

Dickens deserves a wide audience.  I hope this book may introduce her work to a new generation.

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