Alice Gerrard: A Voice for Women, Tradition, and the New Old-Time Sound

Alice Gerrard is a towering figure in American roots music—a trailblazer who helped bring traditional mountain music to new audiences while breaking barriers for women in bluegrass and old-time. With her raw, soulful voice and deep respect for Appalachian traditions, Gerrard has spent more than six decades preserving, performing, and evolving the music she loves. As a solo artist, collaborator, scholar, and activist, she’s shaped the course of folk music history.

Early Life and Musical Awakening

Alice Gerrard was born in Seattle, Washington on July 8, 1934. Though she didn’t grow up in the Appalachian region, her path would take her deep into the world of traditional American folk and mountain music. She studied classical music and attended Antioch College in Ohio, where she became immersed in the American folk revival of the 1950s and ’60s.

Gerrard moved to Washington, D.C., a hotbed of folk music at the time, and began learning from—and later performing with—traditional musicians from Appalachia and the rural South. Her natural voice, powerful and unpolished, resonated deeply with the emotional core of mountain music.

Hazel & Alice: Feminist Bluegrass Pioneers

In the early 1960s, Gerrard met Hazel Dickens, a coal miner’s daughter from West Virginia. Together, they formed one of the most groundbreaking duos in folk and bluegrass history: Hazel & Alice.

At a time when bluegrass was almost entirely male-dominated, Hazel & Alice sang hard-hitting songs about:

• Working-class struggle
• Women’s rights and resilience
• Love, loss, and survival

Their harmonies were raw, forceful, and deeply rooted in mountain tradition—but their subject matter was revolutionary.

Albums like:

• “Who’s That Knocking?” (1965)
• “Won’t You Come and Sing for Me” (1973)
• “Hazel & Alice” (1973, Rounder Records)

…not only preserved traditional songs but introduced powerful new originals with feminist and political undertones. Their influence would ripple outward, inspiring artists like Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, and Rhiannon Giddens.

A Life in Traditional Music

After Hazel & Alice parted ways, Gerrard continued her work as a solo artist and collaborator. Her musical journey included:

• Touring and recording with The Strange Creek Singers (with Hazel Dickens, Mike Seeger, and others)
• Releasing deeply personal solo albums such as “Bittersweet” and “Follow the Music”
• Working with modern artists like Hiss Golden Messenger, bridging folk traditions with indie and Americana sensibilities

Her music never chased trends—it remained grounded in the rough-hewn beauty of the old-time tradition.

Archivist, Scholar, Advocate

Alice Gerrard isn’t just a performer—she’s a documentarian and advocate for traditional music. She’s conducted extensive fieldwork, recorded oral histories, and archived forgotten songs and performers.

She also:

• Founded and edited The Old-Time Herald, a journal dedicated to traditional string band music
• Donated her personal collection—field recordings, photos, and ephemera—to the Southern Folklife Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill
• Has taught at folk camps and universities, mentoring the next generation of folk musicians and scholars

Honors and Legacy

Gerrard’s impact has been recognized widely:

• National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (2015)
• Subject of the documentary “You Gave Me a Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerrard”
• Honored at folk festivals, bluegrass gatherings, and academic conferences alike
• Celebrated as a pioneer for women in roots music, and for preserving aural traditions that might have otherwise vanished

Conclusion

Alice Gerrard is more than a musician—she’s a movement. With a voice that’s both tough and tender, she’s honored the old ways while daring to speak truths that needed to be heard. From the hills of Appalachia to concert halls and classrooms, her work continues to inspire musicians, scholars, and activists alike.

In a world where authenticity is rare and tradition often fades, Alice Gerrard remains a beacon, showing that the past has power—and that women’s voices belong front and center in the story of American music.