Saturday, May 24, 2008

Hello,
This may be late news for some but for rest i must tell you that shortly before midnight, in his sleep wife his loving wife Joanna by his side my father Bruce "Utah "Phillips passed away.

It should be of great comfort that dad was able to spend his last months at home with friends, family and a community that he deeply loved.

There have been no arrangements made as of yet and as i can I will keep you posted.

I feel a deep loss not just for myself and my family but for the global community as a whole.
Dad meant and represented something different to each of us.
Not much more I can say at this point.
Thank You All
Duncan

12 comments:

Chrishwy61 said...

Duncan, your father and his music meant so much to me. There are those moments in life when you hear a song sung, or a poem read, and the answers you been seeking are there. I had that with your dad's music and stories. Thank you. My thoughts are with your family.

Anonymous said...

Duncan,
My father(Skip Jones) was a friend of your Dad's.

Utah drifted in and out of my childhood, whenever he toured through the area he'd stop to visit my folks... I've always had very vivid memories of his visits, the roar of his laughter in my parent's living room , how he always took time to play and be goofy with my brother and I , and the music that he and my father would play late into the nights, overheard from my bedroom while I was supposed to be sleeping.

Most importantly though, I remember the positive feelings he brought with him - he always treated me, not as a four or five of six year old child, but simply as a person - a gesture that always left me in awe.
It's a feeling I've brought with me throughout my life, and continue to go revisit over and over. There aren't words big enough to describe the way that simple act of respect inspired my life.

I am honored to have known such a remarkable soul.

I am deeply sorry for your family's(and the world's) loss, my heart goes out to you all.

Revalani said...

My condolences, Duncan and the rest of your family.

Just a longtime fan.

Mike McCallister said...

Duncan, I am so sorry for your loss. The world is a better place because of your dad, though perhaps not as good as either of us would like.

I was honored to have met him a few times in his travels; as you know, he was great company.

We'll miss him a lot.

cs said...

Duncan,

Sorry to hear about your Pops.

I met him at a CW conference in Des Moines and we yapped for a minute or two. Very gracious and kind and he mentioned he wanted to come to Kansas City to visit Bob and Diana.

I hope you and your family have some peace.

It's still a sad day. Sorry.

Diane Smith said...

Duncan, family and friends:

My sincere condolences on the loss of a great American.

This is a huge loss for you and your family, and a great loss for the country.

May his voice continue to live on for the benefit of us all.

Diane Smith
Missoula, Montana

Anonymous said...

duncan - your father touched my heart. i wish i'd discovered him early enough to see him on the road, but alas i did not.

thank you for keeping everyone posted. thank you to your dad for his amazing gift to us all.

he will be missed.

-a. in texas

Anonymous said...

Dear Duncan,

It's hard to wrap my arms around the truth of living in the world without Bruce in it. He sure loved Sisters Of The Road! My spirit knows he will always be close; his songs, his teachings, his jokes will keep us on the path of non-violence and gentle personalism; but still my heart is breaking.

You, Joanna, Brendan, Morrigan, your entire family and all the beloved community Bruce created are in my and Sisters' thoughts and prayers. I hope you can all feel the light from our hearts shining on yours.

Please don't hesitate to ask for what you need, we are here.

All my love and respect,
Genny

Anonymous said...

I am so very, very sorry. I didn't know Utah personally - but through his words and songs I felt like I had a friend; like you could plop right down next to him on the couch and just start talking; like the person you meet that you feel you might have known in another lifetime. His stories brought so much warmth to peoples hearts and brought people back down to Earth, and it is my hope that they will continue to do so. I wish you and your family all the best.

Kristie said...

I am so very sorry. Utah Phillips was an inspiration to me, and many others.

nash said...

I regret never seeing your dad perform (I lived for some time in Austin, TX and certainly had the chance at the old Cactus Cafe), but I wanted to say that I heard his interview on Democracy Now! today, and at a time when I really needed his example, his hope, his humor, his spirit. Please know that he's still making a difference! Best wishes to all of you who were lucky enough to have this man in your life, and I hope that the grieving process goes...as well as such things can.

Sincerely,

--nashtbrutusandshort
Categorical Aperitif

Anonymous said...

Hi, Duncan!
My name is Denis, from far away Croatia...
I became familiar with the musings of your dad through the albums he did with Ani DiFranco, mixing the best of the memories with grains of salt...
Through the years I followed his work (and never thought of it as work), laughed and cried along side it.
Only today I learned of his passing and it really hit me, because the simple truth was this: in my life I respected and loved very few people whom I did not meet in person and spent considerable time with. I don't care about presidents, politicians, movie stars... But your dad, he was a league of his own, with his huge heart and his level-headed approach to pain, loss, victory and everything in our lives that is important and precious. And that I respected the hell out of.
I'm not sure how much it will help those he left behind, but I can honestly tell you he made my life that much richer and fuller.
Be well, all the best.
Denis