Jack Hardy

Posted 3/16/11

Jack Hardy of Callicoon, NY and New York City, died on Friday, March 11, 2011 in Manhattan from complications of lung cancer. He was 63.

He was born in South Bend, IN on November 23, 1947 to …

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Jack Hardy

Posted

Jack Hardy of Callicoon, NY and New York City, died on Friday, March 11, 2011 in Manhattan from complications of lung cancer. He was 63.

He was born in South Bend, IN on November 23, 1947 to Lillian and Gordon Hardy. He grew up in New York City, Aspen, CO and Durham, CT. His mother is a painter and his father is past dean of students at the Julliard School and a past president of the Aspen Music Festival.

Jack graduated from the University of Hartford and moved to Greenwich Village in 1973. A songwriter and singer, he wrote hundreds of songs, many with a message, developing his own signature blend of American and Celtic sound. Jack became influential in the folk world for co-founding the Musicians’ Cooperative and the Fast Folk Musical Magazine. In the late 1970s, Jack began hosting Monday night songwriting workshops in NYC and continued this practice until very recently, mentoring artists such as Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman, John Gorka and Shawn Colvin, among many others, some of whom traveled from cities like Boston and Philadelphia to attend the sessions.

Locally, Jack wrote music and dance productions for children in the 1990s, most notably “The Blue Garden,” which was performed at Sullivan County Community College and other venues with local dancers and musicians.

Jack was married and divorced twice. He is survived by his parents in Manhattan; son Malcolm in St. Louis, MO; daughters Morgan of Manhattan, Miranda of Syracuse, NY and Eve Peck of South Lake Tahoe, NV; sister Susan Suechting of Elk Mound, WI; brother Christopher of Couer d’Alene, ID; and two grandchildren.