Utah Phillips developed focal dystonia in his right thumb. It would curl up to the palm, and as he was a finger picker it caused no end of problems, to the point where he gave up performing for a while. When Kate Wolfe was diagnosed with leukemia, and had to cancel all her gigs, she ordered Utah to take them. He hired me as his sideman because I knew all the songs (just about), and we worked together for a period of time until he figured out how to play the guitar without the use of his thumb, sort of frailing with the back of his fingers. The only cure was botox injections. When this was suggested to him his reply was that "I don't want to be an Italian policeman," (i.e. Guinea Pig). He also had Dupertyn's Contracture in the ring finger of his left hand. That required surgery to cut the tendon causing the problem.

Mark Ross