We lost another good one. U. Utah Phillips passed away of congestive heart failure on Friday, May 23, 2008.
I first heard the name "Utah Phillips" spoken by my dad in the '70's. My dad was a member of the Boiler Makers Union in Portland, Oregon, and occasionally the name "Utah Phillips" woulc come up when he'd sit in the car sharing booze with a fellow union member. I had no idea who this fella was, but I always remembered his name. The name sounded so cool and I wondered for years who he was. I didn't learn about "Utah Phillips" until I was in my early 30's.
KBOO ran his show for a while on Mondays. Damned good show, which is where I first heard the story, "Moose Turd Pie." Funniest fuckin' story I had ever heard. I have included it in this memorial.
GODDAMN IT! WHY COULDN'T THE WHOLE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAVE BEEN THE ONES! YOU KNOW, THE HORRIFICALLY DESTRUCTIVE AND GENOCIDAL FUCKS!
OK, sorry.
I had always wanted to meet Utah, and missed him by minutes once when he was at KBOO. Then, one day, I'm standing in the hallways of the mighty BOO, when in walks Utah Phillips, plain as day. I walked up to him and shook his hand. I told him I had always wanted to meet him because he was one of my heroes. He was very humble and embarassed by my comment. We wound up talking, he and a few others of us there, for about half an hour or forty-five minutes.
The other day I had to sign an anti-union thing for job prep for the care corporation I will soon be working for. I thought of two things: The UN Declaration of Human Rights, and Utah Phillips.
Well, Utah, I will request of you the same request I put out to all the rest of my buds who have passed on:
Love ya, Brother. You will be sorely missed.
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