Michael Hurley, singer-songwriter and 'Godfather of freak folk,' dies at 83

Michael Hurley, the eccentric vocalist and songwriter who pioneered the “freak-folk” question and inspired generations of artists, has died. He was 83.

“It is with a resounding sadness that the Hurley household announces the caller abrupt passing of the inimitable Michael Hurley,” Hurley’s household said successful a connection to Rolling Stone. “The ‘Godfather of freak folk’ was for a prolific half-century the purveyor of an eccentric genius and compassionate wit. He unsocial was Snock. There is nary other. Friends, family, and the euphony assemblage profoundly mourn his loss.”

The household did not connection origin of decease oregon a database of survivors.

Hurley, calved successful Pennsylvania, honed his cracked position connected bluegrass, blues and people successful the Greenwich Village people country successful New York successful the ‘60s, aft shaper and folklorist Fred Ramsey picked him up connected a hitchiking ramble. He released his debut album, 1964’s “First Songs,” connected Folkways, the acclaimed location of Woody Guthrie and curator Harry Smith’s “Anthology of American Folk Music.”

Hurley’s talents were manifold — helium designed and illustrated astir of his charming hand-drawn medium art, and learned a diverseness of instruments including banjo and fiddle. His songs had a stark, unusual prime that could beryllium some beauteous (as connected “Be Kind to Me” and “Valley of Tears”) and surreal (“What Made My Hamburger Disappear?” oregon “You’re a Dog; Don’t Talk to Me”). He was a puerility person of aboriginal Youngbloods vocalist Jesse Colin Young, who would champion Hurley’s skewed imaginativeness by releasing 1971’s “Armchair Boogie” and 1972’s “Hi Fi Snock Uptown” connected his Warner Bros. imprint Raccoon.

1976’s “Have Moicy!” became an underground cult favorite, and his rapidly expanding catalog would turn to much than 30 LPs. Along the way, indie rockers and like-minded vocalist songwriters similar Lucinda Williams and Cat Power (who hauntingly interpreted his azygous “Werewolf” connected her classical 2003 LP “You Are Free”) would champion his work. Devendra Banhart released Hurley albums connected his Gnomonsong label, and Hurley appeared successful the 2018 movie “Leave No Trace,” wherever helium performed “O My Stars.”

“Calling maine an outsider creator … yes, I deliberation it’s apt,” helium told the Guardian successful 2021. “It’s taken maine a agelong clip to articulation the gang... I didn’t bask the process of applying for gigs, that determination to penetrate things, each this occupation you had to spell through. I preferred playing parties. Little gatherings. Drinking with friends, hopping crossed the river.”

Hurley lived successful agrarian Oregon successful his last years, releasing his past album, “The Time of the Foxgloves,” successful 2021. He continued to constitute and execute astatine gigs including the Big Ears festival successful Tennessee conscionable days earlier his death.