In Honor of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass...

In honor of Hazel Dickens who played at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass each year until her passing, I wanted to share this cover of her song Pretty Bird featuring Eli West Hazel wrote of the song "I envied the little bird sitting on the high wire. It could fly away at any given moment and be free. So in 1972 I wrote this song"

I was able to watch Hazel perform while I was growing up attending the festival. What I think is most remarkable about the story is how two people from very different backgrounds came together through the love of music. My grandfather a banker from New York City/San Francisco, and Hazel Dickens from a coal mining family in West Virginia. From what I've heard, initially Hazel was nervous about playing the festival, but over time it became her home, and the friendship between her and Warren changed one another for the better.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is going online this year, you must check it out tomorrow (Saturday October 3rd)

http://hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/