Labor's Troubadour (Music in American Life) [Hardcover]

Joe Glazer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2000 | Series: Music in American Life

Spiced with colorful anecdotes, leavened with humor, and rich with compassion for the struggles of the rank-and-file worker, "Labor's Troubadour" traces the life and work of labor balladeer Joe Glazer. For more than half a century, armed only with his guitar, reams of songs, and conviction, Glazer has marshaled the power of music to fight for union representation in mills, mines, factories, and offices all over the country. A performer, educator, and "musical agitator for all good causes," Glazer has sung on picket lines, in worn-out union halls, and at elegant dinners, using humor, irony, and pathos to drive home the message of unionism. With the ease and lan of a seasoned storyteller, Glazer tells of sharing platforms with political powerhouses including Harry Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Hubert Humphrey, Adlai Stevenson, George McGovern, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Ladybird Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.With sparks of humor, he describes his encounters with Jackie Kennedy, Rudolf Serkin, and other celebrities, as well as his relationships with Walter Reuther, George Meany, Cesar Chavez, Philip Murray, John Sweeney, and other outstanding leaders of the labor movement. During half a lifetime of rubbing shoulders with the powerful, however, Glazer's focus has never wavered from supporting workers' efforts to secure fair wages and decent working conditions. His reward has been to see his music bring unity out of discord, galvanize union support, and lift the spirits of striking workers who were running low on every resource except a shared faith in the strength of unity. In a career that has taken him all over the world to sing, write, and collect songs about the common human condition of working, Glazer has seen songs about the battle for the eight-hour day give way to songs about automation and cheap imports, with a constant refrain of union busters, scabs, solidarity, plant safety, and retirement benefits. Seventy of these songs are included in the book. An enthusiastic recruiter and promoter of new talent, Glazer has also drawn a number of new labor balladeers into the limelight, some of whom he profiles here. A lively and moving testament of "sticking to the union," "Labor's Troubadour" reveals the powerful role music can play in the serious business of changing the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Highly recommended for libraries w/interest in musical history particularly in the context of recent social, labor, political, and cultural issues. -- Choice

From the Inside Flap

"In the years since Joe Glazer got his first mail-order guitar for $5.95, he's been singing the music of working people--everywhere from picket lines in the snow to giant union picnics to the White House lawn. In Labor's Troubadour Joe tells his own fascinating life story, which is both a great adventure and a journey for justice." -- John J. Sweeney, president, AFL-CIO

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (November 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252026128
• ISBN-13: 978-0252026126
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,793,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reveals the power of song to promote ideas and ideals, May 17, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Labor's Troubadour (Music in American Life) (Hardcover)

Labor's Troubadour is an exceptionally well written and presented autobiography of a man who has spend more than fifty years using the power of music to fight for union representations in mills, mines, factories, and offices all over the country. Glazer tells of sharing platforms with significant political figures including Harry Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Hubert Humphrey, Adlai Stevenson, George McGovern, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon and Ladybird Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and bill Clinton. He describes his often comedic meetings with Jacqueline Kennedy, Rudolf Serkin, and other celebrities. Here also is the story of his encounters with labor icons Walter Reuther, George Meany, Cesar Chavez and others. Labor's Troubadour reveals the power of song to promote ideas and ideals and is a strongly recommended autobiography for students of the American labor movement in general, and one of its most talented balladeers in particular.