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Joe Hickerson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joe Hickerson
Born
Joseph Charles Hickerson

(1935-10-20)October 20, 1935
Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S.
DiedAugust 17, 2025(2025-08-17) (aged 89)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Folk singer
  • musicologist
  • archivist
Years active1957–2016
Children1
Musical career
Genres
  • Folk
  • roots
InstrumentGuitar
Labels

Joseph Charles Hickerson (October 20, 1935 – August 17, 2025), known professionally as Joe Hickerson, was an American folk singer, song finder, and musicologist. He led the Archive of Folk Song at the Library of Congress from 1963 to 1998.

Background

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Hickerson was born in Lake Forest, Illinois, on October 20, 1935, and grew up in New Haven, Connecticut.[1][2] He graduated from Oberlin College with a B.S. in physics in 1957.[3] While at Oberlin, he performed folk music with a group called The Folksmiths.[1] He then became a graduate student at Indiana University Bloomington, studying ethnomusicology; he earned a master's degree and was studying for a doctorate before joining the Library of Congress.[1]

Career

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For 35 years (1963–1998), Hickerson was Librarian and Director of the Archive of Folk Song at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.[3] Hickerson was a lecturer, researcher, and performer, especially in New York, Michigan, and the Chicago area.[citation needed]

In 1958, with the Folksmiths, Hickerson participated in the first LP recording of "Kumbayah", having learned it from Tony Saletan.[4][5] In 1960, Hickerson added two verses to the original version of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" created and recorded in 1958 by Pete Seeger, establishing a circular form for the song that became a standard that many others recorded.[6][7] Along with Dave Guard, Hickerson is credited with the creation, also in 1960, of the Kingston Trio's version of "Bonny Hielan' Laddie".[citation needed]

Personal life and death

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Hickerson was married and divorced twice, and had a son.[1] In later years, he was in a relationship with Ruth Bolliger,[8] and moved from the Washington, D.C. area, to Portland, Oregon, in 2013, to live closer to her.[1]

Hickerson died at a care home in Portland on August 17, 2025, at the age of 89.[1]

Discography

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Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Risen, Clay (August 26, 2025). "Joe Hickerson, 89, Dies; Helped Preserve America's Folk Song Tradition". The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  2. ^ "Alan Darco Celebrity Birthdays: Folk". Retrieved 2015-09-14.
  3. ^ a b "Joseph C. Hickerson (1935–2025)". The American Folklore Society. 2025-08-20. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  4. ^ The Folksmiths. "We've Got Some Singing to Do". Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Smithsonian Institution. p. Catalog FW02407 & FA 2407, track 12, Liner Notes. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  5. ^ Hickerson, Joe. "Joe's Jottings #12: The Folksmiths Summer of 1957: Part III (2016)". Portland Folk Music Society. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  6. ^ Hickerson, Joe (2009–2010). "The Songfinder". Sing Out!. 53 (2): 76.
  7. ^ "Where Have All the Flowers gone? (Pete Seeger/Joe Hickerson) (1956-1960)". Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  8. ^ "Speakers' Bureau: Ruth Bolliger". Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. Retrieved 27 August 2025.

Bibliography

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