West Virginia to Name Bridge for Working Class Hero and Bluegrass Pioneer Hazel Dickens

Hazel Dickens is posthumously honored by her home state with a bridge in her name. Dickens sang about women and the working class, especially coal miners.

Here is some truly lovely news.

Nationally renowned singer, Hazel Dickens, will be memorialized in Montcalm on Saturday, June 1.

To honor Dickens, her outstanding musical career, and her representation of the miners and families of Southern West Virginia, a bridge in Montcalm will be dedicated to her. Set to be named the “Hazel Dickens Memorial Bridge,” the bridge that extends across the Bluestone River, in Montcalm, will be dedicated on June 1 at 1 p.m.

Dickens was a giant in the traditional music scene, with a scorching, keening voice that was a micrometer away from a yowl. She and her musical partner Alice Girard pretty much forced the bluegrass and traditional music community to deal with feminism and political activism. They wrote their own songs, standing up for women and workers, especially coal miners. She was a staunch supporter of unions and the working class. I was deeply grateful to have seen her live, and she was a major inspiration on me as a musician.

Here’s some Hazel for you late-nighters.

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You can find more Hazel Dickens at the link below.

Author: Brendan Skwire

Brendan Skwire is a cultural and media critic. He offers nearly two decades of experience as a journalist, video editor, blogger, and community organizer. Skwire has worked for the Philadelphia Weekly, Scrapple TV, and Raw Story, and is a former member of the News Guild.

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