Anne Feeney, the American folk singer and activist who describes herself as a ‘performer, producer, hellraiser’, died at the age of 69 of Covid-19.
Her daughter, Amy Sue Berlin, announced the news in a Facebook message, calling her ‘brave, brilliant, beautiful’. We were very lucky that she fought hard enough to open her eyes and give a few days to be with her before she finally decided it was time to let go. ”
Feeney was born in Pennsylvania in 1951 and grew up near Pittsburgh. He started playing guitar as a high school student and gave her first performance during a rally against the Vietnam War in 1969. It was the beginning of a lifetime of mixed activism and music, which began in the 90’s after the release of her debut album Look to the Left in 1992, the first of 12 albums in total. Her song Have You Been to Jail for Justice, later recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, became a national anthem over worldwide protest movements.
Peter Yarrow of the trio was among those paying tribute, saying Feeney was “cheerful and fiery in her determination to use her music to uplift those most marginalized and move towards greater justice in the country”.
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine calls Feeney ‘a fearless and formidable force for justice and workers’ rights on stage, in the studio and on the picket line’.
She was the first female president of Pittsburgh Musicians’ Union and was also a supporter of union. She was also co-founder of the Pittsburgh Action Against Rape Rape Crisis Initiative.
She was married twice, first in 1977 to labor lawyer Ron Berlin, with whom she had Amy and son Dan. They divorced amicably in 1995, and she married Swedish artist Julie Leonardsson in 2002.