Michael Hurley

[Jim Pitman]

Michael Hurley has passed. Talk about Americana! A fellow Vermonter from the folk era in the 60s/70s. I am proud to say I frosted his cake one time on pedal steel. The " Holey Model Rounders". Look it up.

[Bill McCloskey]

Oh No!!

Man, I was so into Hurley. I once spent a night with him in Peter Stampfel's apartment in NYC, we were both crashing there. A PA boy. I have some of his comics around here somewhere.
Man, that is sad. Rest in peace.

[Jim Pitman]

Bill, I'll bet we are about he same age.

[Bill McCloskey]

71 here, Jim.

[K Maul]

I had the pleasure of playing on two of Michael’s records Weatherhole and Sweet Korn and doing several live dates with him back 10 or 15 years ago. I was hoping to see him again when he came back east for some gigs, but I missed it. I had been a fan since about 1970 when Armchair Boogie came out. It was really a dream come true getting to know him. I met him through a mutual friend up in Worcester, Massachusetts after I had played on the P Stampfel and the Bottlecaps records. So happy to see that he had quite a bit of success later in life. He was playing for younger crowds and making some money.

[Bill McCloskey]

I loved those records K. I didn't know you played on them.

[Chris Templeton]

I rehearsed twice with him twice and we never gigged.I can't remember exactly where, but he lived in a cabin in the woods north of Burlington, VT.
I also remember his lyrics were wild.
RIP

[Dave Mudgett]

Very sad indeed. One of the bands I work with, Chicken Tractor Deluxe, hosted him out here at the Elk Creek Cafe in Millheim, PA a few times. He was a hoot, fun and interesting. He influenced a lot of stuff I've been doing for a long time now.

Ironic that he and Jesse Colin Young go out within a couple of weeks of each other. I'm starting to feel old. And yeah, I'm in that same general age bracket as some of y'inz guys.

[Bill McCloskey]

I used to play the Scarlet D in Millheim back in the day. Our set was littered with Hurley and Stampfel tunes.

[Chris Templeton]

"Littered with..." I like that. I may use that in my writing, Bill. :0)

[Dave Mudgett]

I used to play the Scarlet D in Millheim back in the day. Our set was littered with Hurley and Stampfel tunes.

I assume you mean Scarlet D in Mifflinburg, right? Yeah, I've played there too. Was a cool place back 20+ years or so ago. There were some big changes around then, but looks like they're doing some music again.

And yeah, we do a bunch of Hurley and Stampfel tunes - I mean, we hosted a "Harry Smith Festival" in Millheim for, I dunno, 11 or 12 years. Half our stuff is straight out of the Harry Smith songbook. Peter headlined one of those festivals, and I think was out here another time or two.

[Bill McCloskey]

Right. Milheim's the place half way between lewisburg and state college. I met you there one time if I remember right. Our friend Gary Gyekis was playing.

[Dave Mudgett]

Yup, I've been playing with Gary in Chicken Tractor Deluxe for at least the last 15 years. Millheim is home base for everyone in that band but me.