Folk singer Joe Hill was born Joel Emanuel Haggland on this day in 1879 in Garle, Sweden. (Some sources give Oct 7 as his birthdate.) Hill emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1902 and began working as a migrant worker, snging Folk songs in migrant camps.In San Pedro, CA in 1910 he joined the IWW (International Workers of The World), a labor union set up as an advocate of workers rights and the unionization of industry. Hill became a fixture at Union rallies across the U.S. and Mexico, singing protests songs against the cruel bosses and singing of the plight of the workers. In 1914, Hill was arrested on a still controversial and entirely circumstantial charge of murdering a grocer who was a former policeman. He was convicted and executed by firing squad despite the protests of the Swedish ambassador. President Woodrow Wilson himself pleaded with the Utah governor for a new trial for Hill. After his execution, Hill`s coffin was hastily shipped to Chicago where it was joined by over 30,000 mourners in a massive funeral procession through Chicago`s streets. Joan Baez sang the song Joe Hill as her opening number when she appeared at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Joe Hill never actualy recorded. His songs were handed down from singer to singer. His influence on Folk music is still far-reaching and he was truly America`s first protest singer
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:16:18 +0000
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