I am sorry that "pdq" does not like Hazel Dickens, but I can understand it. She is one of those singers who people love or loathe
- there is not much room for middle ground.
I love her singing and her songs, and have done so for many years, ever since I won a copy of the vinyl LP "Hazel & Alice" on Charlie Gillet's wonderful radio programme "Honky Tonk" on the old BBC Radio London (that's going back nearly 25 years).
As well as the good songs in the excellent film "Matewan", she has also written marvelous songs such as "It's hard to tell the singer from the song", "Old calloused hands", "Scars fron an old love",
"Don't put her down, you helped put her there" and many more.
She also has that magic gift of making other people's songs her own
and really "lives" the lyrics. A bit like an old-timey country Billie Holiday (who "It's hard to tell the singer from the song" could easily have been written about.)
I am sorry I have never heard her in the flesh.
Her old musical partner in Hazel & Alice duo, Alice Gerrard, has also made at least one fine album "Pieces of my heart" (on Copper Creek label). A fine songwriter too - her song "You gave me a song" is one of my all-time favourites.