From Ms. Katie Lee

Subject: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Aug 99 - 08:10 PM

Since the favourite cowboy songs thread is getting so long, I thought I'd post this separately, so everyone could read Ms. Lee's note to me. I had contacted the Glen Canyon people to look for her book, Ten Thousand Goddam Cattle. In the course of that, I sent her an invitation to join us on the Mudcat, with the enticement of a few people on here whom she knows.

BTW, Frank, sorry, I got it in my head you were with the Weavers, so Ms. Katie corrects me in the following message, which I just received via Glen Canyon people:

-----Original Message----- From: Glen Canyon Institute [SMTP:[e-mail]] Sent: Monday, August 30, 1999 4:22 PM To: [e-mail] Subject: FW: fan mail

Dear Kat; Tell Sandy, Art and Frank Hamilton (not of the Weavers, that's Fred Hellerman) I said, Hi, and best wishes to all. It's been many years since I've seen any of them, I think Art was the last contact. Is Ed McCurdy still alive and well? I've no idea where the Mudkat Cafe is, and doubt if I could just "drop by" anyhow. I'm up to my bunz in performances (singing/reading) from my new book "All My Rivers Are Gone" Takes all my time and energy. Anyhow, it's nice to know something about the old Mob now and again.

Take care, Katie

There ya have it, phoaks! I like her style!

katlaughing

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: John Hindsill
Date: 31 Aug 99 - 08:25 PM

You dun good, Kat. Very nice.

Subject: Weavers History
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Aug 99 - 08:28 PM

Hi, Kat - the original Weavers were Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman. They formed the group in 1949 and broke up in 1952, but got together again in 1955. Seeger left in 1956 or 1957, and was replaced by Erik Darling in 1957. Darling left in 1961, and later founded the Rooftop Singers ("Walk Right In"). Frank Hamilton joined the Weavers in 1962, and was with them for about a year. After that, Bernie Krause was with the group for a short time, and they did their last concert in 1964. the original Weavers got together for two last concerts at Carnegie Hall in November, 1980.
Source; Wasn't That a Time, the Vanguard Weavers anthology.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Aug 99 - 08:34 PM

Thanks, Joe! Now I don't feel so stupid, thinking that about Frank!*g* I thought maybe I'd misread something or other.

Nice to see you back in here.

kat

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: Art Thieme
Date: 31 Aug 99 - 10:49 PM

Kat, I first saw Katie Lee when she was playing in the only folk club to try to be in biz in Evansville, Indiana---around '58 or '59. The place was Alley Rouge---right in a downtown alley.

Many years later Aural Tradition ( a fine folk organization) in Chicago brought her in for a concert. Ms.Lee had a great style. Be sure to tell her I'd love to raft the wild rivers with her but I'm scared she'd be too much for me---and I probably couldn't get into the boat (now). ;-)

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Sep 99 - 12:28 AM

I will do that, Art. In fact I intend to copy these messages and send them all to her. She sounds like quite the character. Anybody know how old she is?

kat

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 01 Sep 99 - 02:49 AM

Summer of '59, Katie, at the Limelite up there in Aspen. Good times were had by all. Since then an exchange of tapes and news, but no get-togethers, darn it. Mudcatting is great fun, and all you need is one of these electronic toys to get you there. So c'mon in, gal, we'd love to have you here.

Sandy

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Sep 99 - 09:29 PM

Hi, all. Just received a copy of the quarterly journal of the Glen Canyon Institute, Hidden Passage.

Here is the info on two new achievements of Ms. Katie Lee, which I thought you'd all like to know about:

New Tapes & CD's by Katie Lee

Glen Canyon River Journeys Ms. Lee reads excerpts from her new book, All My Rivers Are Gone, and sings river songs, and

Colorado River Songs in which she sings all the old and new river songs composed between 1953 and 1980. Includes Wreck of the Nation Bureau

Tapes are $14, Cd's $18 and can be ordered from
Glen Canyon Institute
PO Box 1925
Flagstaff, AZ 86002

Their website is www.glencanyon.org

Phone is 520-556-9311. Ms. Lee is on the advisory board.

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 07 Sep 99 - 09:39 PM

Good job, Kat, m'luv!

Sandy

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 12:10 PM

Just heard a fantastic interview of Ms. Lee, this morning, on NPR. She talked about her memoirs, in her new book, All My Rivers Are Gone; sang a song, after asking for her "axe" (guitar); talked about her early years as a a lounge singer; and, in a touching moment, tried, for the first time, to go see Lake Powell, which filled her beloved Glen Canyon. At the last moment, she could not look at it and they turned back. She also told a couple of great stories. Her voice sounds so vigourous and young; she was hiking along while talking to the interviewer; her singing voice is beautiful. This was a real treat and makes me want to hear more.

If anyone is interested, I am sure you can find more at the NPR website, under Morning Edition, the program which ran this interview.

katlaughingwhowantstobelikeKatieLeewhenIgrowup!

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: Frank Hamilton
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 03:07 PM

We go way back. 1950's with a group called the Sierra Folk Singers that used to put on small local concerts in the Hollywood area. At that time, Katie was Kay Lee in a silken green spangled dress with a dark shiny guitar. She was a great singer and was always outspoken to her credit. When I got some information wrong about my recording of "Tying a Knot In the Devil's Tail" she was one of the first to let me know. Gail Gardner was pissed because I got it wrong and didn't credit him. Didn't know anything about him or that he had written the song. Katie has since been staight-ahead and a knowledgeable person about traditional American folk music. She's come a long way from the "lounge singer" we used to know.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: From Ms. Katie Lee
From: lamarca
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 06:11 PM

For those of you who'd like to hear the NPR story, go to their RealAudio sound archive here