Joseph C. Hickerson - Joe - passed away on August 17, 2025. The following text is from a biographical note that Joe wrote about himself for this website, with minor edits to reflect his passing and to bring a few things up to date.
For more than sixty years, Joe Hickerson performed and lectured over a thousand times throughout the U.S.A. and in Canada, Finland, Ukraine, and United Kingdom. His repertoire included a vast array of folksongs and allied forms in the English language, many with choruses. Pete Seeger called him "a great song leader." Joe called himself a "vintage pre-plugged paleo-acoustic folksinger."
In 1960 he wrote the 4th and 5th verses of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." He has recordings on the Folk-Legacy and Folkways labels, starting in 1957 (the first published recording of “Kum Ba Yah”). He said his concerts were guaranteed to "Drive Dull Care Away."
Joe also had a career as a folklorist, ethnomusicologist, archivist, and librarian; for 35 years (1963-98) he was Librarian and Director of the Archive of Folk Song Culture at the Library of Congress. He lectured and wrote on a variety of folk music topics. From 2003-11 he edited “The Songfinder” column for Sing Out! (https://singout.org/product-category/mag/bi/).
From 2014 to 2016, Joe wrote an engaging series of articles for Local Lore, the newsletter of the Portland Folkmusic Society.These are treasures and highly recommended. Click on any one to open it:
After Covid arrived, Joe developed a strong on-line presence. He was a regular at the PFS Saturday night Virtual Song Circle, as well as a number of other online events.
JOE HICKERSON CDS (and cassettes*)
Smithsonian Folkways F-2407, We’ve Got Some Singing to Do: The Folksmiths Travelling Folk Workshop*. I lead onseveral songs and otherwise perform on this recording of eight Oberlin College students, originally recorded in August 1957 and issued as a Folkways LP in 1958. This was the first published recording containing “Kum Ba Yah.” Includes a 6-page booklet with texts.
Smithsonian Folkways F-RF-51, Uncle Dave Macon*. Conceived by Pete Seeger, selected and edited by Norman Tinsley, Bob Highland, and Joe Hickerson. This was the first LP reissue of 78 rpm recordings by this pioneer of banjo and country music. Originally issued in 1963. Includes a 6-page booklet with discography.
Look for the following Folk-Legacy recordings here.
Folk-Legacy CD-39, Joe Hickerson with a Gathering of Friends. My first solo recording, originally issued as an LP in 1970. CD reissue has two bonus tracks not on the original. Includes a 24-page booklet with texts.
Folk-Legacy CD-41, Five Days Singing (New Golden Ring) Vol. I. I lead several songs and perform on others. Originally issued as inLP in 1971. Includes an 8-page booklet with texts.
Folk-Legacy CD-42, Five Days Singing (New Golden Ring) Vol. II. More from the 1971 session, with an 8-page booklet with texts.
Folk-Legacy CD-58, Drive Dull Care Away, Vol. I. With the next item, my second and third solo recordings, originally issued as LPs in 1976. (The title track was Garrison Keillor’s theme on his “Morning Show” on Minnesota Public Radio in the late 1970s). Includes a 22-page booklet with texts.
Folk-Legacy CD-59, Drive Dull Care Away, Vol. II*. See above. Includes a 22-page booklet with texts.
Folk-Legacy CD-75, The Continuing Tradition, Vol. I: Ballads. A sampler of previously unissued recordings by various Folk-Legacy artists. My offering is “Reynardine,” accompanied by members of the “The New Golden Ring.” Originally issued on LP in 1981. Includes a 12-page booklet with texts.
Cob’s Cobble Music 1005, Folk Songs of the Catskills: A Celebration of Camp Woodland A memorial to Herbert Haufrecht, this CD features songs collected ca. 1940-60 by campers and staff at Camp Woodland of Phoenicia, New York. Performed by Joanna Cazden, Bob & Louise DeCormier, Ronnie Gilbert, Joe Hickerson, Geoff Kaufman, Abby Newton, Pete Seeger, Artie & Happy Traum, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Mickey Vandow, and EricWeissberg. Issued in 2001. Includes a 12-page booklet.