When you’re growing up as the daughter of famed folksinger and composer Oscar Brand, you get Arlo Guthrie as a swim instructor and Eleanor Roosevelt as a babysitter. You experience a childhood laced with such stunning personalities as John Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Theodore Bikel, Jean Ritchie, Johnny Cash, and Pete Seeger. You spend your summer vacations floating from one folk festival to another. You even have a blues legend like Brownie McGhee singing you your lullabies.
But you also get the vagaries of an uncertain existence – an existence that is not only uncertain financially, but often emotionally, as your single-father Dad struggles to balance the responsibilities of parenthood with the time-devouring necessity to make a living and build his career. Thus you frequently find yourself charged with responsibilities well beyond your years.
At times hilarious and at times tragic, Jeannie Brand’s story is one of both great joy and great sorrow, and never dull. A “must” for folk aficionados, and fascinating even for the general reader.
Includes numerous previously-unpublished photos.
Reviews:
“I just finished this book by my friend Jeannie. I highly recommend it, especially for those who had a connection to the folk scene in Greenwich Village in the fifties through the seventies. It’s a tribute to her dad Oscar Brand, who always seemed to be at the center of that scene, performing, writing songs and jump-starting the careers of many other artists, some of whom became much more famous than he did. It is also a moving memoir. If you had a parent who was a performer or who had a larger-than-life personality, if you were the product of a messy divorce or had a step-family, you may find the the highs and lows of Jeannie’s story familiar. There is no slogging through this book. The writing is authentic and fresh, and it moves along at a clip. I couldn’t put it down.” – Leish Clancy, daughter of Pat Clancy (and niece to the rest of the Clancy Brothers!)
“If you like biographies, historical works, or are a fan of folk music, this read is compelling. Ms. Brand tells of a period that changed politics and our country’s moral makeup from a perspective that is highly unusual and paints a picture of the family life of a man who was considered key to the movement by all of the icons of the period. Very interesting read.” – Amy Blume, daughter of folk legend Carolyn Hester
“Jeannie is able to share her experiences, good and bad on how she was impacted and inspired, even troubled by the folk music movement of that time. Jeannie’s father was instrumental and inspirational in sharing the values of music with a healing, caring, impactful and loving way. It is quite obvious that Jeannie will always share the love of music that Oscar Brand gave to his audience, and his legacy will be carried on through her own inspirations.” – Shelley Ross-Sorrels, daughter of famed folksinger Rosalie Sorrels
“Oscar’s daughter Jeannie has written a terrific book about the choices we all make with families, careers, etc. Her childhood was unique, to say the least, but she writes about it with an adult’s insight and understanding, making it a story we can all relate to on some level. Humor, drama and famous people elbow their way into a memoir that’s hard to put down.” – John Foley, Oscar Brand’s longtime friend and accompanist
- ISBN-10: 0692866450
- ISBN-13: 978-0692866450
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches, 206 pages
- $25.00 (USA)
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