Hedy West

Hedwig Grace "Hedy" West (April 6, 1938 – July 3, 2005) was an American folksinger and songwriter. She belonged to the same generation of folk revivalists as Joan Baez and Judy Collins. 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
West performing at Newport Folk Festival, 1964
Background information
Birth nameHedwig Grace West
Born(1938-04-06)April 6, 1938
OriginCartersville, Georgia
DiedJuly 3, 2005(2005-07-03) (aged 67)
GenresFolk music
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, banjo
Years active1961–2005

Hedy West played the guitar and the banjo. On banjo, she played both clawhammer style and a unique type of three-finger picking that exhibited influences outside of bluegrass and old-time, such as blues and jazz. She is a 2022 inductee to the Georgia Women of Achievement.

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