Strange Creek Singers

Formed in the closing years of the 1960s, the ensemble took shape under the guidance of Mike Seeger, born 15 August 1933 in New York City. Its other members included banjoist Lamar Grier, Tracy Schwarz—born Daniel Tracy Schwarz on 13 November 1938, also in New York City, and proficient on fiddle, guitar, and banjo—who had previously worked alongside Seeger in the New Lost City Ramblers, guitarist Hazel Dickens (born Hazel Jane Dickens on 1 June 1935 in Mercer County, West Virginia), and guitarist Alice Gerrard (born 8 July 1934 in Seattle, Washington). The ensemble drew its name from Strange Creek, West Virginia, and blended bluegrass with old-time traditions, drawing on both longstanding material and newer compositions. Because each participant maintained outside obligations, the project remained largely avocational, yet the musicians still managed to travel across Europe and the United States, appearing at prominent festivals. Seeger continues to release recordings, Schwarz tours and performs with the Tracy Schwarz Cajun Trio, and Dickens has issued solo work.