Hedy West
Hedy West | |
|---|---|
West performing at Newport Folk Festival, 1964 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hedwig Grace West |
| Born | April 6, 1938 |
| Origin | Cartersville, Georgia |
| Died | July 3, 2005 (aged 67) |
| Genres | Folk music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, banjo |
| Years active | 1961–2005 |
Hedwig Grace "Hedy" West (April 6, 1938 – July 3, 2005) was an American folksinger, songwriter and song catcher. She belonged to the same generation of folk revivalists as Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Carolyn Hester. Her most famous song "500 Miles" is one of America's most popular folk songs. English folk musician A. L. Lloyd declared West to be "far and away the best of [the] American girl singers in the [folk] revival."
Hedy West played the guitar and the banjo. On banjo, she played both clawhammer style and a unique type of three-finger picking that showed influences beyond old-time and bluegrass such as blues and jazz. She is a 2022 inductee to the Georgia Women of Achievement.