Hedy West

Hedwig Grace "Hedy" West (April 6, 1938 – July 3, 2005) was an American folksinger, songwriter and song catcher. She belonged to the same generation of folk revivalists as Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Carolyn Hester. Her most famous song "500 Miles" is one of America's most popular folk songs. English folk musician A. L. Lloyd declared West to be "far and away the best of [the] American girl singers in the [folk] revival." Hedy West played the guitar and the banjo. On banjo, she played both clawhammer style and a unique type of three-finger picking that showed influences beyond old-time and bluegrass such as blues and jazz. She is a 2022 inductee to the Georgia Women of Achievement.

Similar Artists

The Kossoy Sisters

Chance McCoy & The Appalachian String Band

Morris Brothers

Doc Watson

Anna & Elizabeth

Jean Ritchie

Nickel Creek

Aoife O'Donovan

John Prine

Dougie MacLean

Lost Dog Street Band

I'm With Her

Rhiannon Giddens

Emmylou Harris

The Last Revel

Willie Watson

The Corries

Olivia Rodrigo

Gordon Bok

Offa Rex