Kate Wolf
Encyclopedia
Kate Wolf (January 27, 1942 – December 10, 1986) was an American folk singer
and songwriter
. Though her career was relatively short, she had a significant impact on the folk music scene, and many musicians continue to cover her songs. Her best-known compositions include "Here in California," "Love Still Remains," "Across the Great Divide," "Unfinished Life," and "Give Yourself to Love."
Born in San Francisco, California
, she started her music career in the band Wildwood Flower before recording ten records as a solo artist. Her songs have since been recorded by artists such as Nanci Griffith
and Emmylou Harris
(whose recording of "Love Still Remains" was nominated for a Grammy Award
in 1999
). An important mentor, friend and touring companion was Utah Phillips
.
She died in 1986, at age 44, after a long battle with leukemia
. She is buried at a small church cemetery in Goodyears Bar, California.
NOTE: Wolf (along with fellow musician
Don Coffin to whom she was married at the time) also appears on the 1973 album We Walked by the Water by folksinger
Lionel Kilberg. This album was re-released in 1995 under the title Breezes and credited to Wolf alone on the front cover. Her family was not thrilled about this and have explicitly gone on record as stating that Wolf did not consider this album representative of her work.
Both We Walked by the Water and Wolf's own album Lines on the Paper are dedicated to the late Gil Turner
, who Wolf and Don first met via Lionel Kilberg. Wolf subsequently recorded her own version of Gil's much-covered folk anthem "Carry It On."
. Several thousand guests attend this outdoor festival
, which is regularly headlined by popular folk musicians such as Nina Gerber and Greg Brown. The festival traditionally closes with Wolf's song, "Give Yourself to Love."
Folk Singer
Folk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. Though her career was relatively short, she had a significant impact on the folk music scene, and many musicians continue to cover her songs. Her best-known compositions include "Here in California," "Love Still Remains," "Across the Great Divide," "Unfinished Life," and "Give Yourself to Love."
Born in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, she started her music career in the band Wildwood Flower before recording ten records as a solo artist. Her songs have since been recorded by artists such as Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
and Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
(whose recording of "Love Still Remains" was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1999
1999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
). An important mentor, friend and touring companion was Utah Phillips
Utah Phillips
Bruce Duncan "Utah" Phillips was a labor organizer, folk singer, storyteller, poet and the "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest". He described the struggles of labor unions and the power of direct action, self-identifying as an anarchist...
.
She died in 1986, at age 44, after a long battle with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. She is buried at a small church cemetery in Goodyears Bar, California.
Discography
- Back Roads (1976) (billed as Kate Wolf and the Wildwood Flower)
- Lines on the Paper (1977)
- Safe at Anchor (1979)
- Close to You (1980)
- Give Yourself to Love (1982)
- Poet's Heart (1985)
- Gold in California – A Retrospective of Recordings (1986)
- The Wind Blows Wild (1987)
- An Evening in Austin (1988)
- Looking Back at You (1994)
- Carry It On (1996)
- Weaver of Visions – The Kate Wolf Anthology (2000)
NOTE: Wolf (along with fellow musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Don Coffin to whom she was married at the time) also appears on the 1973 album We Walked by the Water by folksinger
Folksinger
----Folksinger is an album by folk singer-songwriter Phranc, released in 1985.Phranc's first solo LP fused elements of her punk rock past with acoustic folk music...
Lionel Kilberg. This album was re-released in 1995 under the title Breezes and credited to Wolf alone on the front cover. Her family was not thrilled about this and have explicitly gone on record as stating that Wolf did not consider this album representative of her work.
Both We Walked by the Water and Wolf's own album Lines on the Paper are dedicated to the late Gil Turner
Gil Turner
Gil Turner was an American folk singer-songwriter, magazine editor, Shakespearean actor, political activist, and for a time, a lay Baptist preacher...
, who Wolf and Don first met via Lionel Kilberg. Wolf subsequently recorded her own version of Gil's much-covered folk anthem "Carry It On."
Music festival
Kate Wolf's music is celebrated each year toward the end of June at the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival, held at Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville, CaliforniaLaytonville, California
Laytonville is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Laytonville, is located north-northwest of Willits, at an elevation of 1670 feet...
. Several thousand guests attend this outdoor festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
, which is regularly headlined by popular folk musicians such as Nina Gerber and Greg Brown. The festival traditionally closes with Wolf's song, "Give Yourself to Love."
Tributes and covers
- Australian singer-songwriter Eric BogleEric BogleEric Bogle is a folk singer-songwriter. He emigrated to Australia in 1969 and currently resides near Adelaide, South Australia.-Career:...
wrote "Katie and the Dreamtime Land," one of his most popular songs, as a tribute to Wolf. - Greg Brown wrote and performed "Kate's Guitar," which is available on his 2004 album, In the Hills of CaliforniaIn the Hills of CaliforniaIn the Hills of California is the title of a live album by folk singer/guitarist Greg Brown, released in 2004.-History:This live album is subtitled Live from the Kate Wolf Music Festival 1997-2003. All proceeds from this release were donated to charity...
, recorded live at the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival.
- In 1998, a tribute albumTribute albumA tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
entitled, Treasures Left Behind: Remembering Kate Wolf, was released by Red House RecordsRed House RecordsRed House Records is an American independent record label specializing in folk music and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.The label was originally created in 1981 by Greg Brown as a method to distribute his own music, and is named for a farmhouse in Iowa where he was living...
. The album contains Kate Wolf songs performed by various artists, and the booklet contains tributes and remembrances about her.
- Track listing
- "Give Yourself to Love" (Kathy MatteaKathy MatteaKathleen Alice "Kathy" Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass performer who often brings folk, Celtic and traditional country sounds to her music. Active since 1983 as a recording artist, she has recorded seventeen albums and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot...
) - "These Times We're Living In" (Dave AlvinDave AlvinDave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
) - "Friend of Mine" (Nanci GriffithNanci GriffithNanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
) - "Sweet Love" (John GorkaJohn GorkaJohn Gorka is a contemporary American folk musician. In 1991, Rolling Stone magazine called him "the preeminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement."-Biography:...
) - "Here in California" (Lucinda WilliamsLucinda WilliamsLucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
) - "Like a River" (Peter Rowan & The Rowan Brothers)
- "Carolina Pines" (Cris WilliamsonCris WilliamsonCris Williamson is an American feminist singer-songwriter, who achieved fame as a recording artist, and who was a pioneer as a visible lesbian political activist, during a time when few who were not connected to the Lesbian community were aware of Gay and Lesbian issues...
& Tret FureTret FureTret Fure is an American singer-songwriter, prominent in the women's music scene.Fure started her career as a backing vocalist on rock albums by Spencer Davis and Little Feat, and released her self-titled solo debut album in 1973 on MCA Records...
) - "See Here, She Said" (U. Utah PhillipsUtah PhillipsBruce Duncan "Utah" Phillips was a labor organizer, folk singer, storyteller, poet and the "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest". He described the struggles of labor unions and the power of direct action, self-identifying as an anarchist...
) - "In China, or a Woman's Heart" (Rosalie SorrelsRosalie SorrelsRosalie Sorrels is an American folk singer-songwriter who resides in the mountains near Boise, Idaho. She began her public career as a singer and collector of traditional folksongs in the late 1950s. During the early 1960s she left her husband and began traveling and performing at music festivals...
) - "Tequila and Me" (Greg Brown & FerronFerronFerron, born Debby Foisy on , is a Canadian folk singer/songwriter and poet. In addition to being one of Canada's most famous folk musicians, she is one of the most influential writers and performers of women's music, and an important influence on later musicians such as Ani DiFranco, Mary Gauthier...
) - "Back Roads" (Nina Gerber)
- "Cornflower Blue" (Eric Bogle)
- "Love Still Remains" (Emmylou HarrisEmmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
) - "Thinking About You" (Terry Garthwaite)
- "Give Yourself to Love" (Kathy Mattea