Bucky Halker
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Clark "Bucky" Halker (born 1954) is an American academic, music historian, labor activist, singer and songwriter who specializes in
American folk music The term American folk music encompasses numerous music genres, variously known as ''traditional music'', ''traditional folk music'', ''contemporary folk music'', ''vernacular music,'' or ''roots music''. Many traditional songs have been sung ...
. Halker is best known for his work on
labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
protest songs A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. ...
, Illinois folk music, and his involvement with the preservation of
Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...
's musical legacy. He is a recipient of the
American Folklife Center The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. was created by Congress in 1976 "to preserve and present American Folklife". The center includes the Archive of Folk Culture, established at the library in 1928 as a rep ...
's Archie Green Fellowship.


Early life

Halker was born in Beaver Dam, WI, and grew up in Ashland, WI, where he began performing in rock bands and as a solo artist as a teenager. He attended The College of Idaho, majoring in History. Later, he enrolled in graduate school at the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
, and continued his studies in History focusing on the working class and labor protest songs and poetry. After completing an MA and PhD at the university, he taught at the College of Idaho, Albion College, and North Central College. In 1986, moved to
Chicago, IL Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, and began working as a freelance scholar and musician.


Career

Halker released his debut album, ''A Sense of Place'' in 1984, with ''Step n' Blue'', a collection of blues and folk songs, released shortly after in 1986. He joined the Chicago band The Remainders as frontman, and released a single record with them in 1993. ''Human Geography'' followed in 1993, and ''Passion, Politics, Love'' being released in 1997 to acclaim, with Erik Hague from AllMusic calling it "top-notch, varied Americana". 2001 saw the release of ''Don't Want Your Millions'', partly funded by the Illinois Arts Council, and considered a historic document of union and labor songs, featuring material from
Studs Terkel Louis "Studs" Terkel (May 16, 1912 – October 31, 2008) was an American writer, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1985 for ''The Good War'' and is best remembered for his oral histor ...
,
The Carter Family The Carter Family was an American folk music group that recorded and performed between 1927 and 1956. Regarded as one of the most important music acts of the early 20th century, they had a profound influence on the development of bluegrass, c ...
, Hazel Dickens and
Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter ( ; January 1888 or 1889 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the ...
. In 1991, Halker authored the book ''For Democracy, Workers, and God: Labor Song-Poems and Labor Protest, 1865-1895'', accompanied by a cassette of labor protest songs. As part of his ongoing work with folk music, Halker has also produced the Illinois Humanities Council's ''Folksongs of Illinois'' series volumes 1-5, which chronicles the history of folk music in
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
since 1865. Volume 4, ''Chicago Since 1945'', was released in 2011 through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. A National Endowment of the Arts grant funded Volume 5 of the series, ''Chicago Since 1970'', which was released in 2013. In 2015, Bucky released ''Anywhere But Utah: Songs of Joe Hill'', a tribute CD in honor of Joe Hill, an IWW activist, who was executed (for a murder he likely did not commit) by firing squad in Salt Lake City, Utah, November 19, 1915. The year 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of Hill's execution. The CD contains songs all written by Hill, some of which have never been recorded. Funding for the project was provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Swedish Council of America.


Woody Guthrie

For years, Halker has been involved in the promotion and preservation of Woody Guthrie's musical legacy through concerts, lectures, writings, and media programs. In 2012, Halker released ''The Ghost of Woody Guthrie'' in collaboration with Minneapolis musician Andy Dee. The album is a tribute to Guthrie and includes eighteen Halker originals songs and four Guthrie songs. On volume 4 of the ''Folksongs of Illinois'' CD series Halker included ''Old Chy-Car-Go'', a Guthrie song that was part of the performer's repertoire but had not been recorded before 2010. Halker recorded the song in collaboration with Cathy Richardson. Bucky Halker also served on the board of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives until it disbanded in 2014. As part of Guthrie's birth centennial in 2012, Halker participated in several memorial concerts that showcased the singer's material.


Personal life

Halker is married and lives with his wife in
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Halker, Bucky Living people 1954 births American folk singers American music historians American male non-fiction writers People from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts alumni College of Idaho alumni Brambus Records artists Historians from Wisconsin Folk music historians