He wrote songs powerful enough to get
him killed . . . and they almost did
The Legend Dies On
The Epic Tales & Adventures of Gary Green and his “Outlaw Folk” now available from Amazon & other booksellers
This new book is the true life and often over-the-top adventures of poet-singer-songwriter GARY GREEN, whose legendary albums are part of the
Smithsonian Institution’s Folkways Collection. Best known as “the outlaw folksinger” Gary is an inductee into the California Music Hall of Fame
and Museum. His music served as a rallying cry for social change, inspiring a generation of socially-conscious writers to utilize music as a tool for
organizing and activism.
Gary’s “outlaw” persona was initially forged through his incisive and often provocative lyrics, which he fearlessly showcased at appearances for civil
rights, labor, anti-war, LGBTQ+ rights, and progressive causes. But for Gary, “outlaw” was not merely a musical genre; it was a way of life wrapped in
“songs powerful enough to get you killed” — quite literally! Targeted by the remnants of the COINTELPRO policy of spying on and disrupting the lives
U.S. citizens, he was driven “underground” for a decade where he continued to taunt authority and was defended (and eventually cleared) by
renowned super-attorney William Kunstler with a cadre of celebrity supporters.
Performing at rallies for The American Indian Movement, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Black
Panther Party, and dozens of labor unions, his southern hillbilly roots music stood out among the usual
fare. Seemingly paradoxically, his personal friendships with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and other
country music “outlaws” was contrary to his radical hippie image; though they were among his biggest
supporters.
The late Pete Seeger aptly captured Green’s significance when he said, “Hell, there should be a Ballad of
Gary Green”.
From providing the impetus for a Paul Newman movie, to his early mentoring of young musicians like
Tupac Shakur, a later citation from the Governor of Maryland and recognition in The Congressional Record
of the United States…
Gary Green’s influence and reach is irrefutable.
