Appalachian bluegrass bassist/vocalist moved to Baltimore in mid-‘50s and went on to become an icon of the mid-Atlantic bluegrass scene. She performed at local clubs such as the Cozy Inn with many of the top local players including Mike Seeger (step-brother of folk great Pete Seeger) of Pikesville who introduced her to many of the Baltimore/D.C. area locals.
Dickens and Seeger were members of Bob Baker’s Pike County Boys in the ‘50s. The group was one of the top bluegrass groups in the area led by guitarist Bob Baker (who relocated to Baltimore in the ’50s from his home in Pike County, Kentucky, thus the name Pike County Boys), with Hazel Dickens (double bass -later replaced with Billy Ray Baker), along with Mike Seeger (fiddle), Jimmie Grier (fiddle), Bob Shanklin (mandolin), Dick Rittler (banjo), and later adding Russ Hooper (dobro). They performed country and bluegrass, live shows on WBMD radio, house band at the 79 Club, and frequented the Cozy Inn. The group was featured with 4 songs on the various artists album “Mountain Music Bluegrass Style” (1959 Folkways 2318).
Seeger went on to form the New Lost City Ramblers. Hooper later with Franklin County Boys…
Throughout the ‘60s-70s Dickens performed in a duo with Alice Gerrard aka Alice Foster (banjo, guitar, vocals) who later married Mike. The duo split in early ‘70s, but each of them continued to perform and influence bluegrass and roots music.
Record releases by Hazel and Alice:
1965(LP) Verve 9005 Who’s That Knocking
1973(LP) Folkways 31034 Won’t You Come & Sing for Me
1973(LP) Rounder 0027 Hazel & Alice
1996(CD) Folkways 40065 Pioneering Women of Bluegrass
Record releases by Hazel Dickens:
1981(LP) Rounder Hard Hitting Songs for Hard Hit People
1984(LP) Rounder 0200 By the Sweat of My Brow
1986(LP) Rounder It’s Hard to Tell the Singer from the Song
1987(LP) Rounder A Few Old Memories
