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Phil Ochs’s Followers (23)

Phil Ochs

Born

in El Paso, Texas, The United States

December 19, 1940

Died

April 09, 1976

Website

http://www.cs.pdx.edu/%7Etrent/ochs

Genre

Politics, Social Sciences, Poetry

Influences

Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Bob Gibson ...more

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Philip David Ochs grew up in a non-political middle class family. While in college at Ohio State University, he met Jim Glover who became his roommate & whose father was Phil's political teacher. It was during this time, while he was majoring in journalism, that he formed his political beliefs & started putting them to music.
After 3 years of college, Phil dropped out & went to New York City. This was during the early 60s when things were booming in Greenwich Village. Phil started out singing at open mikes & passing the hat. By '64 he was well enough established to release his 1st album, "All the News That's Fit to Sing". His 2nd album, "I Ain't Marching Anymore", was released in '65. By '66 he was able to sell out Carnegie Hall for a solo Philip David Ochs grew up in a non-political middle class family. While in college at Ohio State University, he met Jim Glover who became his roommate & whose father was Phil's political teacher. It was during this time, while he was majoring in journalism, that he formed his political beliefs & started putting them to music.
After 3 years of college, Phil dropped out & went to New York City. This was during the early 60s when things were booming in Greenwich Village. Phil started out singing at open mikes & passing the hat. By '64 he was well enough established to release his 1st album, "All the News That's Fit to Sing". His 2nd album, "I Ain't Marching Anymore", was released in '65. By '66 he was able to sell out Carnegie Hall for a solo concert.
Most of Phil's songs were very political, some humorous & some very serious. He wrote about the topics of the day-civil rights, VietNam, hungry miners, & personalities such as Billy Sol Estes, JFK, Medgar Evers, Wm Worthy & Lou Marsh.
In '67 he signed with A&M Records where his 1st release was "Pleasures of the Harbor" in which he used heavily orchestrated arrangements for the 1st time. Some fans criticized this change, while others accepted it.
Phil continued to perform & travel around the world. While in Dar Es Salaam, he was mugged & lost the top 3 notes of his vocal range. This event seemed to send him on a downward spiral. His last years were troubled ones. He suffered from manic depression plus an affinity for the bottle. He committed suicide on 4/9/76, aged 35.
Many of Phil's songs have been covered by other artists. Some of his best known songs are: "Changes", "There But For Fortune", "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Draft Dodger", "Small Circle of Friends", Crucifixion" & "When I'm Gone".
There've been 2 biographies about him. Death of a Rebel by Marc Elliot in '77 & There but for Fortune: The Life of Phil Ochs by Michael Schumacher in '96. Rhino Records released a 3-CD compilation titled Farewells & Fantasies in '97 which includes all his best known works plus some previously unreleased tracks. Sliced Bread Records released a double CD of covers of Phil's songs performed by 28 artists in '98 entitled The Songs of Phil Ochs. ...more

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Phil Ochs’s books

Average rating: 4.12 · 95 ratings · 19 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	I'm Gonna Say It Now: The Writings of Phil Ochs by Phil Ochs, Meegan Lee Ochs (Contributor), David Cohen (Editor) 3.90 avg rating — 61 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Songs of Phil Ochs by Phil Ochs, Gordon Friesen (Foreward) 4.75 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 1964 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The War is Over by Phil Ochs, Andy Wickham 4.40 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 1968 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Complete Phil Ochs: Chords of Fame by Phil Ochs, Tom Nolan (Foreword), Mark Eliot (Introduction) 4.44 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 1978	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Farewells & Fantasies by Phil Ochs, Meegan Lee Ochs (foreword), Mark Kemp (Goodreads Author) (contributor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1997 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Phil Ochs: Broadside 147 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1983	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Songs Written by Phil Ochs 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends Sheet Music 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	War Is Over 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Broadside Ballads 11: Interviews with Phil Ochs 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Phil Ochs (?)

“It is wrong to expect a reward for your struggles. The reward is the act of struggle itself, not what you win. Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's life.”
― Phil Ochs

32 likes

“In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty.”
― Phil Ochs

24 likes

“One good song with a message can bring a point more deeply to more people than a thousand rallies.”
― Phil Ochs

tags: folk-music, politics

12 likes

See all Phil Ochs's quotes »

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Phil Ochs’s Followers (23)

Phil Ochs

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Phil Ochs’s books