[Photo courtesy of Sophia Hoffman]

By Julia Weber, Editorial Director

Renowned folk musician Michael Hurley has died at 83 years old. Hurley, who is widely credited as a leading figure in outsider folk, was a key figure in the Greenwich Village folk scene.

Hurley released his debut album First Songs in 1964 and followed thereafter by many other albums throughout his storied career. He is best known for 1976’s Have Moicy! and 1980’s Snockgrass.

In a statement released on Instagram via Hurley’s record label, his family wrote:

“It is with a resounding sadness that the Hurley family announces the recent sudden passing of the inimitable Michael Hurley. The “Godfather of freak folk” was for a prolific half-century the purveyor of an eccentric genius and compassionate wit. He alone was Snock. There is no other. Friends, family, and the music community deeply mourn his loss.”

While Hurley’s contributions to music are incalculable, he was particularly dear to the southeast Ohio music community. Far surpassing any other single artist, Hurley first played at Nelsonville Music Festival in 2008, and continued to return each year that the festival has been held in-person since, and he was scheduled to perform at the upcoming 2025 festival. His 2021 song “Are You Here for the Festival” even namedrops the festival, showing the tremendous reciprocal relationship between the key folk musician and the local festival.

In an Instagram post, Nelsonville Music Festival wrote: “We bid farewell to our dear friend, Michael Hurley. His music, paintings, and approach to existence have deeply inspired and informed the essence of the Nelsonville Music Festival. He will always be an integral piece of our fabric, of our family. Rest in peace Michael.”