Ronnie Gilbert: A Radical Life in Song

311 Pages·2015·1.861 MB·English

by  Ronnie Gilbert

ROTH FAMILY FOUNDATION
Music in America Imprint
Michael P. Roth
and Sukey Garcetti
have endowed this
imprint to honor the
memory of their parents,
Julia and Harry Roth,
whose deep love of music
they wish to share
with others.
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous support
of the Music in America Endowment Fund of the University
of California Press Foundation, which was established by a major
gift from Sukey and Gil Garcetti, Michael P. Roth,
and the Roth Family Foundation.
Ronnie Gilbert
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous contribution to
this book provided by the following:
The Constance and William Withey Endowment Fund for History
and Music of the UC Press Foundation
The Gustave Reese Endowment of the American Musicological
Society, funded in part by the National Endowment for the
Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Ronnie Gilbert
A Radical Life in Song
With a foreword by Holly Near
university of california press
University of California Press, one of the most distin-
guished university presses in the United States, enriches
lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the
humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its
activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and
by philanthropic contributions from individuals and
institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.
University of California Press
Oakland, California
© 2015 by Ronnie Gilbert
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gilbert, Ronnie, author.
Ronnie Gilbert : a radical life in song / with a
foreword by Holly Near.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-520-25308-7 (cloth : alk. paper) —
isbn 978-0-520-96244-6 (ebook)
1. Gilbert, Ronnie. 2. Folk singers—United States—
Biography. I. Near, Holly, writer of foreword.
II. Title.
ml420.g438a3 2015
782.42162′130092—dc23
[B]
2015016336
Manufactured in the United States of America
24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum
requirements of ansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r 2002)
(Permanence of Paper).
For Donna
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contents
List of Illustrations ix
Foreword by Holly Near xiii
Acknowledgments xvii
1. Songs Are Dangerous
1
2. Family
3
3. Making My Own Way
41
4. The Weavers
55
5. Moving On
120
6. Theater
133