Chris, Utah, and Pam. April, 2000
Actually, Why did I want to do this site? Because it is the best way I know how to give back even a little of the enjoyment, knowledge, and thought provoking information that Utah Phillips gives to us. Utah has one heck of a long memory, and imparts his experiences and ramblings to us in most amazing ways.
Let my wife Pam give you her view -
Utah Phillips often talks about using a "gaff" to pull people in. For me it was "Moose Turd Pie". It was New Years Eve 1996/1997. He was appearing on a television broadcast of The Midnight Special in Chicago. My husband and I were curled up in front of the TV, picking over the dregs of a delightful gingery Mongolian beef, when a voice, which has since burned itself into my psyche, began to tell a tale of life on the rails, gandy dancing and of course … moose turd pie. I knew this. I had heard it before. I don't remember where, but I knew it. I began to chuckle. I knew the punch line, but I was laughing before he even got close to it. It was the telling. I guess that's it in a nutshell. Any story is only as good or memorable as the telling.
I found I wanted to hear more. The adventure began. Since then, Utah has become part of our life. Every Sunday night we listen to Loafer's Glory over the Internet. We listen to tapes on the way to and from work. We sing along and talk about the show. Speaking for myself, I have learned more from his rambles, rants and music then I did in 9 years of college. That's the truth. I read more, I sing more, I contemplate more and by god, I rant more.
My husband and I celebrated my 48th birthday and our 17th wedding anniversary this April by driving to Lansing Michigan to hear Utah perform in concert. It was a delightful evening. Standing Room Only. He began the evening with Railroading on the Great Divide. The crowd (a true mix of generations) was with him from the get go. After several hours of stories and songs that included "Dump the Bosses off Your Back", "Hallelujah I'm a Bum" and an informative discourse on gaffing, the evening ended with a well-deserved standing ovation. I was fortunate enough to get to not only meet him, but also spend some time talking, and more importantly listening to the man. He graciously joined us the next morning for breakfast, as curious about us as we were about him. He told stories, answered questions, shared ideas and reminisced about old Chicago, my hometown. This was the best birthday in memory.
I vision that this site is our way of saying thank you
to Utah for enriching our lives and sharing not only his memories, but those
of all the elders he carries within him. The question posed here is "Why Utah
Phillips?" The answer is simple. It's the telling. And for me, nobody tells
it better.
-Pam Dunn
Chris, Utah, and Pam. April, 2000
It was quite a weekend we had. Seeing Utah Phillips in person at his performance, and a quiet breakfast with him chatting. And if it was not fantastic enough, the hotel we all stayed at had a freight railroad running nearby. You could hear the quiet rumbling of the train cars and the whistle blowing in the distance. Utah made mention the sounds brought back memories. You could close your eyes and see the images of hobos and tramps he tells stories of while the trains roll by.
Utah has kindly given me permission to set this site up and resurrect the host name www.utahphillips.com for him. The official URL for this site is www.utahphillips.org - either will work, but I prefer "org". I in no way derive any money from this project. It's done for the fun of it and to help others discover Utah Phillips.
There you have it. Any questions or comments about the site, please email me at horse@centaur.org
Thanks! -Chris
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