Dick Blakeslee
Encyclopedia
Richard Cleveland Blakeslee (September 15, 1921 – April 7, 2000) was an American professor of English who is best known as the author of the folk song "Passing Through". Quoting from the book by Ronald D. Cohen and Dave Samuelson which accompanies the ten CD set "Songs for Political Action", in discussing the People's Songs organization in Chicago
,
Over the next half century "Passing Through" was recorded by many artists including The Highwaymen
, Cisco Houston
, Earl Scruggs
, Leonard Cohen
(on Live Songs
,) and Kind of Like Spitting
. It was often sung at union rallies and state fairs and over the years acquired verses not written by Blakeslee, such as a Lincoln
verse (the original song included only four verses: Adam, Jesus
, Washington
, and Roosevelt
).
Between 1950 and 1958 Blakeslee taught English Literature and Composition at Northwestern University
and Wisconsin State University, Stevens Point
. In 1958 he took a position at San Fernando Valley State College, now California State University, Northridge
, where he taught until his retirement in 1992. During his teaching career he was recognized as a dedicated and gifted teacher. Although he continued to sing and play the guitar for his poetry classes and at parties with friends he did not publish any more songs.
Dick Blakeslee died on April 7, 2000 in Santa Barbara, California
. He was survived by his wife Pat, four of his five children, and nine grandchildren.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
,
"Curiously, the most popular song to emerge from Chicago didn't come from the downtown office, but from the city's southside Hyde ParkHyde Park, ChicagoHyde Park, located on the South Side of the City of Chicago, in Cook County, Illinois, United States and seven miles south of the Chicago Loop, is a Chicago neighborhood and one of 77 Chicago community areas. It is home to the University of Chicago, the Hyde Park Art Center, the Museum of Science...
neighborhood. Dick Blakeslee became interested in folk music while attending the University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. In late 1947 or early 1948, he and Dick Crolley sent a home-cut disc of their compositions to People's Songs in New York. Blakeslee's "Passing Through" was chosen for publication. Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
learned the song and sang it throughout Henry WallaceHenry A. WallaceHenry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...
's 1948 presidential campaign. Today, "Passing Through" remains an enduring folk standard."
Over the next half century "Passing Through" was recorded by many artists including The Highwaymen
The Highwaymen (folk band)
The Highwaymen were a circa 1960 "collegiate folk" group, which originated at Wesleyan University and had a Billboard number-one hit in 1961 with "Michael" and another Top 20 hit in 1962 with "Cottonfields"...
, Cisco Houston
Cisco Houston
Gilbert Vandine 'Cisco' Houston was an American folk singer and songwriter who is closely associated with Woody Guthrie due to their extensive history of recording together....
, Earl Scruggs
Earl Scruggs
Earl Eugene Scruggs is an American musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo-picking style that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music...
, Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
(on Live Songs
Live Songs
Live Songs was the Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen's fourth album, released during the three-year silence between Songs of Love and Hate and New Skin for the Old Ceremony. It is a compilation of live recordings, performed mostly in Europe in 1970 and 1972...
,) and Kind of Like Spitting
Kind of Like Spitting
Kind of Like Spitting was an American indie rock band. They formed in 1996 in Portland, Oregon. The band was led by prolific singer-songwriter Ben Barnett, who work has drawn comparisons to Elliott Smith, Mark Eitzel, Billy Bragg, and Robert Pollard....
. It was often sung at union rallies and state fairs and over the years acquired verses not written by Blakeslee, such as a Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
verse (the original song included only four verses: Adam, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, and Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
).
Between 1950 and 1958 Blakeslee taught English Literature and Composition at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and Wisconsin State University, Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point is a public university located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin...
. In 1958 he took a position at San Fernando Valley State College, now California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
, where he taught until his retirement in 1992. During his teaching career he was recognized as a dedicated and gifted teacher. Although he continued to sing and play the guitar for his poetry classes and at parties with friends he did not publish any more songs.
Dick Blakeslee died on April 7, 2000 in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. He was survived by his wife Pat, four of his five children, and nine grandchildren.