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Hedy West
American folk singer, song adapter and banjoist (1938–2005) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hedwig Grace "Hedy" West (April 6, 1938 – July 3, 2005) was an American folksinger and songwriter. She belonged to the same generation of folk revivalists as Joan Baez and Judy Collins. Her most famous song "500 Miles" is one of America's most popular folk songs. English folk musician A. L. Lloyd declared West to be "far and away the best of [the] American girl singers in the [folk] revival."[1][2]
Quick Facts Background information, Birth name ...
Hedy West | |
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![]() West performing at Newport Folk Festival, 1964 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Hedwig Grace West |
Born | (1938-04-06)April 6, 1938 |
Origin | Cartersville, Georgia[1] |
Died | July 3, 2005(2005-07-03) (aged 67) |
Genres | Folk music |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, banjo |
Years active | 1961–2005 |
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Hedy West played the guitar and the banjo. On banjo, she played both clawhammer style and a unique type of three-finger picking that exhibited influences outside of bluegrass and old-time, such as blues and jazz. She is a 2022 inductee to the Georgia Women of Achievement.[3]