Feeney for the people
By Bill Knight
Anne Feeney’s fiery, flowing red hair somehow contrasted with her silky singing as she played a rousing set of protest songs, folk and bluegrass and other numbers from the back of a truck.
And from the heart.
She was full of fun and fury.
That was in 1995 at a Decatur demonstration following a march of hundreds of Auto Workers, Rubber Workers, Paperworkers and supporters protesting Caterpillar, Bridgestone/Firestone and A.E. Staley.
Now, her strong voice is silent.
Last week, the popular 69-year-old troubadour died from COVID-19 at a Pittsburgh hospital.
She and I crossed paths a few times over the decades, but the hard-working musician activist was inspiring for many people for many years.
When beloved labor singer/activist
Anne Feeney passed earlier this month, memories of her work and ties to Madison poured in from around the city, state and country. WORT is honored to share these vivid, heartfelt contributions from a number of those who were proud to call her a comrade and friend.
(featured photos from Solidarity Sing Along by Jon Miner)
Anne Feeney remembered
On February 3, legendary folksinger and labor activist Anne Feeney died of COVID-19 pneumonia at the age of sixty-nine. Feeney was a skilled singer and organizer in the musical tradition of Joe Hill and Pete Seeger, and the labor movement tradition of Eugene Debs, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and Mother Jones. In 2015, she performed in the centennial celebrations of labor singer Joe Hill. Feeney’s songs like “Have You Been to Jail for Justice” inspired activists and fueled protests.
Rolling Stone Anne Feeney, Influential Folk Musician and Activist, Dead at 69
Singer’s anthem “Have You Been to Jail for Justice” is sung at protests around the world
By Julie Leonardsson
Anne Feeney, the influential folk musician and labor activist whose “Have You Been to Jail for Justice” has served as an anthem for activists worldwide, died of Covid-19 on Wednesday. She was 69.
Her daughter, Amy Sue Berlin, confirmed the news on Wednesday night. “It is with a very heavy heart that we must announce the passing of our courageous, brilliant, beautiful mother, Anne Feeney,” Berlin wrote on Facebook. “We were very lucky that she fought hard enough to open up her eyes, and give us a couple days to be with her before she finally decided it was time to let go.”
Knoxville Biz Ticker: Local entrepreneurs earn $10,500 in Knoxville Area Urban League business pitch contest
The Knoxville News-Sentinel 1/29/2021 Knoxville News Sentinel
Local entrepreneurs earn $10,500 in Knoxville Area Urban League business pitch contest
Five winners of the Knoxville Area Urban League’s business pitch contest have received checks totaling $10,500 for enterprises ranging from health care to art classes.
Mark Isom, the founder and president of Premiere Building Maintenance Corporation, presented the entrepreneurs with checks during Impact Week, a virtual fundraiser held in late 2020 for the Knoxville Area Urban League’s community initiatives, including the 10-week CO.STARTERS training program for entrepreneurs.
Isom provides funding for the program, along with Randy Boyd, founder and executive chairman of Radio Systems Corporation, and his wife, Jenny Boyd.
Met Opera s revenue drops, breaks even with gifts, borrowing
Ronald Blum
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FILE - This March 12, 2020 file photo shows people by the fountain at Josie Robertson Plaza in front of The Metropolitan Opera house at Lincoln Center in New York. The Metropolitan Operas operating revenue dropped by $25 million to $150 million in the fiscal year ending July 31, a season shortened due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, but the company avoided an operating loss with its fundraising and borrowing. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File) (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
NEW YORK – The Metropolitan Opera’s operating revenue dropped by $25 million to $120 million in the fiscal year ending July 31, a season shortened due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, but the company avoided an operating loss through fundraising and borrowing.