Joe Hickerson, a seminal figure in the folk music world, died on August 17, 2025. At Oberlin College, he was a member of a folk group, The Folk Smiths, which toured college campuses and youth camps leaving behind fans of folk music wherever they went. Joe was one of the formative voices of the folk revival of the 1950s and 60s when he introduced a number of its foundational songs including
Kumbayah and
Where Have All the Flowers Gone (with Pete Seeger). He was Head Librarian and Director of the Archive of Folk Song at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress for 35 years. During the last 13 years he made Portland his home (to be close to his sweetie, Ruth Bolliger). He wrote a series of articles about the early days of the folk revival for Local Lore which you can
find here, along with other information about Joe.
The memorial gathering for Joe will be hybrid:
• In-person at the Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby St, Portland, OR 97209
•. Online on Zoom: Please
register here first. As soon as you register, the software will send you a confirmation email about joining the event.
Participants will be invited to share a brief story about Joe or lead a song appropriate to the occasion. We will intersperse in person participants and online participants. At the in-person event, each participant will be called up to a mic; on Zoom, participants will be invited to speak or sing according to when they arrive.
If you would like to contribute a written piece in his memory, to be posted on a special memorial page for Joe on the Portland FolkMusic Society website, send it to Casey Casebeer:
diplocase@yahoo.com.
All are welcome. We hope to see you there.