Bruce Duncan "Utah" Phillips (May 15, 1935 – May 23, 2008)
, KVMR, Nevada City, California, May 24, 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008. was an American labor organizer,
folk singer
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
, storyteller and poet. He described the struggles of labor unions and the power of
direct action
Direct action is a term for economic and political behavior in which participants use agency—for example economic or physical power—to achieve their goals. The aim of direct action is to either obstruct a certain practice (such as a governm ...
, self-identifying as an
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
.
He often promoted the
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), whose members are nicknamed "Wobblies", is an international labor union founded in Chicago, United States in 1905. The nickname's origin is uncertain. Its ideology combines general unionism with indu ...
in his music, actions, and words.
Early years
Phillips was born in
Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
to Edwin Deroger Phillips and Frances Kathleen Coates. His father, Edwin Phillips, was a labor organizer, and his parents' activism influenced much of his life's work. Phillips was a card-carrying member of the
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), whose members are nicknamed "Wobblies", is an international labor union founded in Chicago, United States in 1905. The nickname's origin is uncertain. Its ideology combines general unionism with indu ...
(Wobblies), which were headquartered in Chicago. His parents divorced and his mother remarried. Phillips was adopted at the age of five by his stepfather, Syd Cohen, who managed the Hippodrome Theater in Cleveland, one of the last vaudeville houses in the city. Cohen moved the family to
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
, Utah, where he managed the Lyric Theater, another vaudeville house. Phillips attributes his early exposure to vaudeville through his stepfather as being an important influence on his later career.
Phillips attended
East High School in Salt Lake City, where he was involved in the arts and plays.
["Folk Revival in Salt Lake City?"](_blank)
folkworks.org. Retrieved 7 December 2013 He served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
for three years in the 1950s. Witnessing the devastation of
post-war
A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, ...
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
greatly influenced his social and political thinking. After discharge from the army, Phillips rode the railroads, and wrote songs.
Career
While
riding the rails and
tramp
A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round.
Etymology
Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English '' ...
ing around the west, Phillips returned to Salt Lake City, where he met
Ammon Hennacy from the
Catholic Worker Movement. He gave credit to Hennacy for saving him from a life of drifting to one dedicated to using his gifts and talents toward activism and public service.
Phillips assisted him in establishing a mission
house of hospitality named after the activist
Joe Hill. Phillips worked at the
Joe Hill House for the next eight years, then ran for the
U.S. Senate as a candidate of Utah's
Peace and Freedom Party
The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a socialist political party in the United States which operates mostly in California. It was formed in 1966 from anti–Vietnam War and pro–civil rights movements.
PFP operates both as an organization unt ...
in 1968. He received 2,019 votes (0.5%) in an election won by
Republican Wallace F. Bennett. He also ran for president of the United States in 1976 for the Do-Nothing Party.
He adopted the name U. Utah Phillips in keeping with the
hobo
A hobo is a migrant worker in the United States. Hoboes, tramps, and bums are generally regarded as related, but distinct: a hobo travels and is willing to work; a tramp travels, but avoids work if possible; a bum neither travels nor works.
Et ...
tradition of adopting a moniker that included an initial and the state of origin, and in emulation of country vocalist
T. Texas Tyler.
Phillips met folk singer
Rosalie Sorrels 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. After leaving Utah in the late 1960s, he went to
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...
, where he was befriended by the folk community at the
Caffè Lena coffee house. He became a staple performer there for a decade, and would return throughout his career.

Phillips was a member of the
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or Wobblies). His views of unions and politics were shaped by his parents, especially his mother who was a labor organizer for the CIO. But Phillips was more of a
Christian anarchist and a
pacifist
Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
, so found the modern-day Wobblies to be the perfect fit for him, an iconoclast and artist. In recent years, perhaps no single person did more to spread the
Wobbly gospel than Phillips, whose countless concerts were, in effect, organizing meetings for the cause of labor, unions, anarchism, pacifism, and the Wobblies. He was a tremendous interpreter of classic Wobbly tunes including "
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum," "
The Preacher and the Slave
"The Preacher and the Slave" is a song written by Joe Hill (activist), Joe Hill in 1911. It was written as a parody of the Hymn, Christian hymn "In the Sweet By-and-By". Copying or using the musical style of the hymn was also a way to capture the ...
," and "
Bread and Roses."
An avid
trainhopper, Phillips recorded several albums of music related to the railroads, especially the era of steam locomotives. His 1973 album, ''Good Though!'', is an example, and contains such songs as "Daddy, What's a Train?" and "Queen of the Rails" as well as what may be his most famous composition, "Moose Turd Pie" wherein he tells a
tall tale
A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some tall tales are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories ("the fish that got away") such as, "That fish was so big, why I tell ya', it ...
of his work as a
gandy dancer
Gandy dancer is a slang term used for early railroad workers in the United States and Canada, more formally referred to as ''section hands'', who laid and maintained railroad tracks in the years before the work was done by machines.
The British ...
repairing track in the Southwestern United States desert.
In 1991 Phillips recorded, in one take, an album of song, poetry and short stories entitled ''I've Got To Know'', inspired by his anger at the first
Gulf War
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, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
. The album includes "Enola Gay," his first composition written about the United States' atomic attack on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Phillips was a mentor to folk singer
Kate Wolf. In 1998, he was the first recipient of the Kate Wolf Memorial Award from the
World Folk Music Association.
He recorded songs and stories with
Rosalie Sorrels on a CD called ''The Long Memory'' (1996), originally a college project "Worker's Doxology" for 1992 'cold-drill Magazine' Boise State University. His admirer,
Ani DiFranco
Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums.
DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...
, recorded two CDs, ''
The Past Didn't Go Anywhere'' (1996) and ''
Fellow Workers'' (1999), with him. He was nominated for a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for his work with DiFranco. His "Green Rolling Hills" was made into a country hit by
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...
, and "
The Goodnight-Loving Trail" became a classic as well, being recorded by
Ian Tyson,
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...
, and others.
Later years and death
Though known primarily for his work as a concert performer and labor organizer, Phillips also worked as an archivist, dishwasher, and warehouse-man.
Phillips was a member of various socio-political organizations and groups throughout his life. A strong supporter of labor struggles, he was a member of the
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), whose members are nicknamed "Wobblies", is an international labor union founded in Chicago, United States in 1905. The nickname's origin is uncertain. Its ideology combines general unionism with indu ...
(IWW), the
International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers
The International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers (IUMMSW) was a labor union representing miners and workers in related occupations in the United States and Canada.
The union played an important role in the protection of workers and in de ...
(Mine Mill), and the
Travelling Musician's Union AFM Local 1000. In solidarity with the poor, he was also an honorary member of
Dignity Village, a homeless community. A pacifist, he was a member of
Veterans for Peace and the
Peace Center of Nevada County.
In his personal life, Phillips enjoyed varied hobbies and interests. These included
Egyptology
Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Ancient Greek, Greek , ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian History of Egypt, history, Egyptian language, language, Ancient Egypt ...
; amateur
chemistry
Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...
;
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
; history (
Asian,
African,
Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
and
world
The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
);
futhark;
debate
Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...
; and poetry. He also enjoyed culinary hobbies, such as
pickling
Pickling is the process of food preservation, preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either Anaerobic organism, anaerobic fermentation (food), fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects t ...
, cooking and gardening.
He married Joanna Robinson on July 31, 1989, in Nevada City.
Phillips became an elder statesman for the folk music community, and a keeper of stories and songs that might otherwise have passed into obscurity. He was also a member of the great
Traveling Nation, the community of hobos and railroad bums that populates the Midwest United States along the rail lines, and was an important keeper of their history and culture. He also became an honorary member of numerous folk societies in the US and Canada.
When Kate Wolf grew ill and was forced to cancel concerts, she asked Phillips to fill in. Suffering from an ailment which makes it more difficult to play guitar, Phillips hesitated, citing his declining guitar ability. "Nobody ever came just to hear you play," she said. Phillips told this story as a way of explaining how his style over the years became increasingly based on storytelling instead of just songs. He was a gifted storyteller and monologist, and his concerts generally had an even mix of spoken word and sung content. He attributed much of his success to his personality. "It is better to be likeable than talented," he often said, self-deprecatingly.
From 1997 to 2001, Phillips hosted his own weekly radio show, ''Loafer's Glory: The Hobo Jungle of the Mind,'' originating on
KVMR and nationally syndicated. The show was suspended after 100 episodes due to lack of funding.
Phillips lived in
Nevada City, California
Nevada City is the county seat of Nevada County, California, United States, northeast of Sacramento, California, Sacramento, southwest of Reno, Nevada, Reno and northeast of San Francisco. The population was 3,152 as of the 2020 United States ...
, for 21 years where he worked on the start-up of the
Hospitality House, a homeless shelter, and the Peace and Justice Center. "It's my town. Nevada City is a primary seed-bed for community organizing."
In August 2007, Phillips announced that he would undergo
catheter ablation
Catheter ablation is a procedure that uses radio-frequency energy or other sources to terminate or modify a faulty electrical pathway from sections of the heart of those who are prone to developing cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation ...
to address his heart problems. Later that autumn, Phillips announced that due to health problems he could no longer tour. By January 2008, he decided against a
heart transplant.
Phillips died May 23, 2008, in
Nevada City, California
Nevada City is the county seat of Nevada County, California, United States, northeast of Sacramento, California, Sacramento, southwest of Reno, Nevada, Reno and northeast of San Francisco. The population was 3,152 as of the 2020 United States ...
, from complications of heart disease, eight days after his 73rd birthday,
and is buried in Forest View Cemetery in Nevada City.
Personal papers
Archival materials related to Phillips' personal and professional life are open for research at the
Walter P. Reuther Library in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. The papers include correspondence, interviews, writings, notes, contracts, flyers, publications, articles, clippings, photographs, audiovisual recordings, and other materials.
Discography
Bibliography
*1973 ''Starlight on the Rails and Other Songs'' (Wooden Shoe)
*2011 ''Starlight on the Rails and Other Songs'' (2nd edition, expanded) (Dream Garden Press)
References
External links
Folksinger, Storyteller, Railroad Tramp Utah Phillips Dead at 73– Picture gallery and official obituary provided by family.
from the 1997 Folk Alliance Lifetime Achievement Awards
*Summer 200
Interviewin "Unlikely Stories"
* (Radio broadcast)
The “Golden Voice of the Great Southwest” Utah Phillips memorial page on ''
Democracy Now!
''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long TV, radio, and Internet news program based in Manhattan and hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live ...
''
* .
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Utah
1935 births
2008 deaths
20th-century American singer-songwriters
20th-century anarchists
20th-century Utah politicians
21st-century anarchists
Activists from California
American anarchists
American anti-war activists
American Christian pacifists
American Christian socialists
American folk singers
American political music artists
American storytellers
American street performers
American tax resisters
American Unitarian Universalists
Anarcho-pacifists
Catholic Workers
Christian anarchists
Folk music of the American Southwest
Industrial Workers of the World culture
Industrial Workers of the World members
Musicians from Cleveland
Musicians from Salt Lake City
Peace and Freedom Party politicians
People from Nevada City, California
Politicians from Cleveland
Red House Records artists
Righteous Babe Records artists
Singer-songwriters from California
Singer-songwriters from Ohio
Singer-songwriters from Utah
United States Army soldiers