Utah Phillips

Subject: Utah Phillips
From: GUEST,Noah Count
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 01:43 PM

I recently heard that Utah Phillips actually grew up Jewish in Cleveland and that his real name is Bruce Cohen.

Why do so many folksingers have to deny their roots and make up stories about their past? Elliott Adnopoz became Ramblin' jack Elliott, Robert Zimmerman became Bob Dylan, etc.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: GUEST,Brian Epstein
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 01:54 PM

It's called MARKETING.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: Bert
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 02:02 PM

And also, believe it or not, there are still people out there that are so stupid and ignorant that they are anti-semitic.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 02:25 PM

And anti-semitism isn't just a frail and fringe thing either. When it's directed at Arabs, it's so mainstream it isn't even recognised as anti-semitism.

One other reason singers change their names sometimes - and it's not one applied here - is because they run up against some rule about not having the same name as another performer. English singer Jo Fraser changed her performing name to Jo Freya because of that. Any other examples of that?

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: kendall
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 03:03 PM

So, you heard about Utah? what makes you think it's true?

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: Midchuck
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 03:19 PM

Well, they wouldn't let them say it on the internet if it weren't true, would they?

P.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 04:27 PM

Bruce was born in Cleveland and his happened-to-be-Jewish family moved to Utah when he was around 10. If you listen to his stuff he talks about it openly enough. I've never heard the Cohen bit, tho -- don't know if I buy it.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 05:16 PM

If I recall correctly, Cohen was the name Bruce Phillips' step-father. I don't know whether or not he was ever "Bruce Cohen."

Back in May 1973, Debbie Cohen, Bruce's half-sister showed up at a Utah Phillips/Malvina Reynolds concert I produced at Dawson College in Montreal. If I recall correctly, she was changing planes in Montreal, saw something about the concert in the paper, switched her flight and jumped in a cab to the concert. I think it was the first time that Bruce and Debbie had seen each other in several years.

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 03:11 PM

For Phillips Fans only- The IWW produced a CD of Utah which is a live performance at a Free Speech Society meeting in Seattle. About 60% talking, 40% singing and 100% Phillips. Cheap, too. Camsco carries at at ten bucks.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: GUEST,voyager
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 03:27 PM

Utah's CDs listed here...

http://www.utahphillips.org/tapecd.html

Didn't find the $10 copy that Dick G. mentioned.

voyager FSGW Ghetto

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: kendall
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 03:56 PM

I dont care if his parents were from Venus, he is still the greatest.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 06:56 PM

Bruce has NEVER EVER denied his Jewish background. He has talked about it on stage whenever it was relavant to his performance. As with me, that wasn't often.

Info recently released about the title character in the old folksong "Who Killed Cock Robin" did come as a shock. Cock Robin's real name, as I've said in other threads, was Penis Rabinowitz. ;-)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 08:05 PM

If I tell you I have the CD, dammit, I have it. It's titled Making Speech Free. It costs $10. And you don't have to find it on any other website. Grumph.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips
From: Jeri
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 08:15 PM

Voyager and Dick, the CD is indeed listed on Utah's page page - at least I believe it's the one Dick's talking about. It's the last one, called "Making Speech Free." It sells for $15 there. Dick sells it for $10.