Neil Woodward, Michigan Troubadour, Storyteller, and Historian
Radio Free Flint Podcast
English - May 21, 2022 18:51 - 30 minutes - 28.6 MB - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsSociety & Culture flint michigan arthur busch flint podcast radio free flint radio free flint mi rust belt local podcast Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Neil is an instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and folk historian who helps preserve Michigan musical traditions. He holds the title -- State Troubadour. In 2003. The Michigan Legislature officially named Neil Woodward Michigan’s Troubadour in recognition of his lifelong commitment to the preservation of Great Lakes folk music and culture.
Woodward has served as the village troubadour at Genesee County's historic Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad and spends his summers as a strolling musical performer at Greenfield Village in Dearborn.
During the podcast you will hear four of his songs; "Engine 464", the "Swampin' of the Genesee Belle", "... say No?!" and "Peach Tree Creek". These songs represent Flint's historical stories.
The song "Engine 464" details the history of Engine 464 of the Huckleberry Railroad located at Crossroads Village near Flint, Michigan.
The "Swampin' of the Genesee Belle" is a story about a paddleboat that submerged on Mott Lake during its maiden voyage at Crossroads Village.
The song " ... say No?!" is about Flint and its legendary autoworkers. He painfully describes the pressures Flint autoworkers felt in the 1990s from the forces of globalization and the threats of losing their jobs to Mexican factories.
Peachtree Creek is a Civil War song that tells the story of a Flint, Michigan soldier wounded in Sherman's March to the Sea (Battle of Atlanta). Neil Woodward is the recipient of the 2018 State of Michigan Heritage Award "in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Michigan's cultural heritage."
Most of Neil’s work focuses on the preservation of Michigan's songs in the troubadour tradition, from Great Lakes sailor shanties to lumberjack songs.
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For more information about Neil Woodward and his storytelling and songs visit the Neil Woodward Website
Read this profile story "Neil Woodward, Michigan's Troubadour, Storyteller and Historian" by Radio Free Flint.
Watch a 25 minute YouTube performance by Michigan's Troubadour
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