Phil Ochs

Phil Ochs, a figure both glorious and tragic, haunts the history of the 1960s folk revival and its aftermath. A topical singer and songwriter in the manner of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, he extended the range and language of folk music's poetry into gloriously rich territory. Ochs embraced the role of ideological outlaw, authoring songs that ripped the envelope of acceptable popular political discourse. He also had something extra: street cred, among the people who cared; he was in Chicago for the 1968 Democratic National Convention, when thousands of young citizens took to the streets to protest the Vietnam War. However, clinical depression and alcoholism left him drained, and he died by his own hand in 1976. It was only after his tragic tailspin that he was appreciated as one of the most sincere and humane songwriters of his day, whether detailing political atrocities or more poetic concerns.