Michael Hurley, the American singer-songwriter whose unique path through the US folk scene made him an inspiration to generations of alternative musicians, has died aged 83.
A statement from the family announced his “recent sudden passing”, though no cause of death has been given. It added: “The ‘godfather of freak folk’ was for a prolific half-century the purveyor of an eccentric genius and compassionate wit … There is no other. Friends, family and the music community deeply mourn his loss.”
Born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1941, Hurley was the son of an operetta director and travelled the country with him as a child. This itinerant nature continued into young adulthood, when he started out as a musician – hitchhiking one day he was picked up by folklorist Fred Ramsey, who ended up producing his debut album First Songs which was released on the storied US label Folkways in 1964. The label, now Smithsonian Folkways, has paid tribute, writing: “His wit and wild imagination, steadfast through the decades, are a beacon for singers and songwriters seeking to express the joys and fantastical idiosyncrasies of the world.”
Hurley spent time in New York’s flourishing folk-revival scene, home to the likes of Bob Dylan, but by his own admission didn’t have the drive to climb the music career ladder. “I didn’t enjoy the process of applying for gigs, that determination to penetrate things, all this trouble you had to go through,” he told the Guardian in 2021. “I preferred playing parties. Little gatherings. Drinking with friends, hopping across the river.”
He shuttled between jobs and locales – “moccasin maker, carpenter, apple picker, tipi maker” was part of a long list of work he related in 2021 – but continued to put out music, eventually releasing more than 30 albums of material featuring his own cover illustrations (often populated by cartoon wolves). The shaggy, spirited energy of these genial records, backed by small ensembles and spanning straightforward folk as well as bluegrass and folk-rock, inspired numerous artists across US alternative music, from folk-leaning singer-songwriters such as Lucinda Williams and Bonnie “Prince” Billy to alt-rockers such as Yo La Tengo.
His most recent album is 2021’s The Time of the Foxgloves, which was a return to original songwriting after 12 years away. He had performed concerts in recent days, in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Mike Quinn, founder of No Quarter Records, said that Hurley had “just finished a new album. It was mastered the week before he died, and he was very proud of it (as he should be… it’s outstanding). Hopeful it will see the light of day soon.”
