The Life, Music, and Impact of Hazel Dickens Kelly Landers
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University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Honors Theses Student Research 2010 Freedom's disciple : the life, music, and impact of Hazel Dickens Kelly Landers Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses Part of the Leadership Studies Commons, and the Music Commons Recommended Citation Landers, Kelly, "Freedom's disciple : the life, music, and impact of Hazel Dickens" (2010). Honors Theses. 1066. https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1066 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERS TY OF RICHMOND LIBRARIES \1\\1 \\\I\\\\\\ I\ I\\\\II \I\ I\\ I\\\\ I\I\ \\\\ I\\ \I\I\ \ \\\ I\\I\ \\II 3 3082 01040 2435 Freedom's Disciple: The Life, Music, and Impact ofHazel Dickens by Kelly Landers Honors Thesis in LeadershipStudies Universityof Richmond Richmond, VA April 29, 2011 Advisor: Dr. Gary McDowell Abstract Freedom's Disciple: The Life,Music, and Impact of Hazel Dickens Kelly Landers Committee members: Dr. Gary McDowell, Dr. Terry Price, Dr. Dorothy Holland The work of Appalachian musician Hazel Dickens sheds light on many of the musical and cultural changes in our country. Dickens used her music as a voice forthe disadvantaged, advocating for improvements in the lives of miners, working-class people, and women, and pushing forall to be treated equally. A wonderfulsongwriter, performer, and overall musician, Dickens saw her career, music, and beliefs as inextricably linked, and so this thesis will explore her leadership by analyzing her songs and her history. Signature Page for Leadership Studies Honors Thesis Freedom's Disciple: The Life,Music, and Impact of Hazel Dickens Thesis presented by Kelly Landers This is to certifythat the thesis prepared by Student Name has been approved by his/her committee as satisfactorycompletion of the thesis requirement to earnhonors in leadership studies. Approved as to style and content by: Jepso Freedom's Disciple: The Life, Music, and Impact of Hazel Dickens Kelly Landers April 29, 2011 Jepson Honors Thesis Landers 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Gary McDowell, forhis guidance and support throughout this process. So much of this project would not have been possible without his good humor, connections, and expertise. I would also like to thank my other committee members, Dr. Terry Price-forhis theoretical input and experience in this genre-and Dr. Dorothy Holland-whose challenging questions, performancehistory, and femalepresence were much appreciated-foragreeing to oversee and be associated with this project as well. The Jepson community has graciously given much-needed supporting to this thesis project, recognizing the influencethat arts can have, even though Hazel Dickens lies somewhat outside the stereotypical realm of leaders. Further thanks go to Ken Irwin at Rounder Records, Dudley Connell, and everyone else who has agreed to speak with me about Hazel Dickens' lifeand music, as well as to Dr. Linda Fairtile in the Music Library, and to Bill C. Malone forhis wonderful books. Most of all, I would like to thank Hazel Dickens forapproving of my project and sharing her stories with me, as well as forher hard work, her leadership example and her wonderfulmusical legacy. As Ken Irwin accurately described her to me, "Hazel is a jewel and a national treasure," and learningabout her lifeand having the opportunity to work directly with her was a giftand pleasure. Landers 3 NOTES: Ms. Dickens passed away on April 22, 2001, after the submission of this thesis. She will be greatly missed, and while I regret that I will not have the chance to interview her further,she leaves behind a powerfulbody of work, a record of old struggles and old music, and an inspiration forfuture generations. I would like to note that, unless otherwise indicated, all of the lyrics in this paper are printed with the same grammar and spacing that Hazel Dickens used when laying them out in the book Working Girl Blues. I deferredto her judgment unless the lyrics that I needed were not foundin that book, forwhich cases I used my best judgment. In this case, as others, I have tried to respect Dickens' intent. She certainly does not need any help getting her point across, but I believe that the ways that she has chosen to present her lyrics should be honored here. Also, while my opportunities to interview Hazel Dickens were curtailed this spring, due to her health and her schedule, I do look forwardto pursuing this research further.I know that I have but scratched the surfaceof her character and her work. This paper feelsfar fromfinished-there are more songs that I would like to discuss, more details that I would like to pursue, and a few unfinishedprojects that will hopefully be released posthumously, as they will doubtlessly add to her great legacy. Landers 4 Table of Contents A: Introduction ············································································ 5 B: Interpreting Influenceand Authority as Leadership ············································································ 9 The Persuasive Power of Music The Power of Celebrity Deconstructing Leadership Myths C: Overview of Dickens' Social Context ··························································"·'·············· 18 Social Movements and Influences Folk Music, Revival, and Authenticity D: Growing Up a Mountain Girl: Dickens' Roots ············································································24 E: Using Leadership to Blend Tradition and Innovation ············································································33 Old Time Music Bluegrass Music Resisting and Embracing Change Common Country Themes F: Leading Advocacy forMiners ············································································64 G: Leadership Impact forthe Working Class ············································································85 H: Leading as a Woman, for Women ........................... ········· .................. ······ ................ 110 Appreciation forTraditional Roles Struggles with Relationship Expectations Rejecting Romantic Expectations Songs Celebrating Progress and Hope I: Conclusions ············································································ 145 Bibliography ············································································147 Landers 5 A: INTRODUCTION "Protest songs date back centuries and cross every cultural and musical genre, lending a voice to those oppressed by societal problems, brutal labor practices or political conflict and war. When a song becomes symbolic of a particular social struggle, it transformsinto an agent of change in itself, helping to build strength of purpose in its participants, steeling them for struggles that are oftenlong and brutal."1 The music and activism of Hazel Dickens sheds light on many of the musical and cultural changes in our country. An Appalachian folkartist fromrural West Virginia, she is respected for her songwriting and her politics, both of which were groundbreaking fora femalemusician in her relatively conservative genre. Her name is not well known outside the genre, though many of her songs are, such as "Black Lung" and "Mama's Hand," and she has been active in the music scene since the 1960s. Rather than pursuing fame, Dickens has composed, recorded, and performedsongs that she considers to be important. These high standards informher creative process, since she will write a song only if she feelscompelled to share an important story.2 Dickens was influentialduring a time of great social and musical change, pushing the boundaries 1 Heather West, "Working Girl Blues by Hazel Dickens, Bill C. Malone," review of Working Girl Blues: The Lifeand Music of Hazel Dickens, by Hazel Dickens and Bill C. Malone, Pop Matters, last modifiedJune 11, 2008, http://www.popmatters.com/pm/ review/working-girl 2blues-by-hazel-dickens-bill-c-malone. Hereaftercited as West, "Working Girl Blues." Michelle Nikolai, Coal Mining, Womanhood and Scars From Old Loves, CMT News, http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1472442/coal-mining-womanhood-and-scars-from-old loves.jhtml. Hereaftercited as Nikolai, "Coal Mining." Landers 6 of women's roles and promoting social change and justice, but her leadership and her music are still relevant, and her push forequality and social justice still rings true. This paper will show how many of the social changes in the United States were both encouraged and reflectedthrough Hazel Dickens' music and cultural leadership. Musically, she impacted the social norms and climate of the genres in which she performed,such as bluegrass, mountain, and old-time music, as a single femalesinging about women's issues and by living her own lifestyle. Politically, she lived forher causes, involved with the struggles of poor, marginalized, and unseen Americans after having emerged fromanonymity herself. My intention in this paper will be to show how Hazel Dickens, this relatively low-profilemusician, was able to do innovative things musically and socially with such great success. This thesis is an in-depth exploration of the lifeand music of Hazel Dickens, who is a prime example of a musician-leader. As displayed by her body of work and her commitment to social ·causes, Dickens is a leader who can be considered good