Singer Barbara Dane, known for iconic performances with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Muddy Waters, and Lightnin’ Hopkins, has died. She was 97.
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Dane passed on October 20, surrounded by friends and family at her home in Oakland, California. After a long battle with heart failure, the singer received medical aid in dying. Her daughter, Nina Menendez, confirmed the singer’s cause of death in a statement to The San Francisco Chronicle.
Born Barbara Jean Spillman in May 1927, Dane’s singing career began with teenage performances at labor meetings and community events.
After relocating to San Francisco with her husband, folk singer Rolf Cahn, Dane hosted a TV show featuring folk music. Shortly thereafter she transitioned to performing jazz with trombonist Bob Mielke’s band, the Bearcats.
Dane is survived by her 3 musically-inclined children – folk singer Jesse Cahn, rock musician Pablo Menendez, and vocalist Nina Menendez – as well as her grandson, Osamu Menendez, and three great-grandchildren.
Barbara Dane Used Her Platform to Fight for Causes Close to Her Heart
In addition to her musical prowess, Barbara Dane was known for her dedication to causes close to her heart.
In 1970, she founded Paredon Records with husband, activist Irwin Silber. From there, Dane helped to put out over 50 albums addressing issues like feminism, racial injustice, and anti-imperialism. The label promoted artists from all over the world, including Cuba, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Greece, and the United States.
“I saw that whenever the movement in a particular country was strong, there was an emerging music to go with it,” Dane told The New York Times in a 2021 interview. “It struck me that this stuff needed to be heard in the voices of the people who wrote the songs.”
Barbara Dane also commented on her unconventional choice to sing at protests rather than leading a band.
“Why would I want to stand in front of a band with a low-cut dress singing stupid words when I could be singing for workers who are on strike?” she said. “It didn’t seem like a good bargain to me.”