Michael Hurley: Tributes paid to the 'Godfather of freak folk', who has died aged 83

Tributes are pouring in from friends, fellow musicians, and fans of Michael Hurley, following news of the deeply influential American musician's death this week, aged 83.

“It is with a resounding sadness that the Hurley family announces the recent sudden passing of the inimitable Michael Hurley," a statement shared by the label Mississippi Records reads. "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."

Born in Pennsylvania in 1941, Hurley (also known as Snock) was part of the Greenwich Village folk scene in the '60s – and went on to release over 30 albums over his decades-spanning career.

Over the years, his work has been covered by the likes of Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Violent Femmes and Barry Dransfield.

He released his debut album, First Songs, through the legendary Folkways Records label in 1964 – with Frederic Ramsey, Jr. recording the album on the same reel-to-reel machine that he used to tape Lead Belly’s Last Sessions.

In a tribute shared last night, Smithsonian Folkways (which acquired Folkways Records in the '80s),  described Hurley as "one of the great songwriters of the past century."

The label goes on to note that First Songs planted "the seeds of characters and world-building that would populate his discography throughout his long and storied career as a countercultural folk troubadour and artist."

"His wit and wild imagination, steadfast through the decades, are a beacon for singers and songwriters seeking to express the joys and fantastical idiosyncrasies of the world," the tribute concludes.

Listen to Michael Hurley's First Songs below: