Larry Penn’s Folk Music Legacy Will Be Celebrated At Memorial Event This Weekend

A memorial celebration is set for Sunday evening in Milwaukee for Larry Penn, a folk singer involved in the labor movement who passed away last week.

Penn was a longtime member of the Teamsters Union who became active as a folk singer in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement. He also wrote and sang many labor -related songs, like “Still Losing Jobs.”

Penn performed at labor rallies, labor memorials and picket lines. Ken Germanson of the Wisconsin Labor History Society knew Penn for half-century and was at many of Penn’s performances.

“He was able to express the spirit of why we’re doing what we’re doing. And that’s so important in these labor disputes. Because a lot of it is emotional,” said Germanson.

Even with fewer strikes these days, Germanson said many of Penn’s songs remain relevant.

“A lot of those songs should continue to be listened to,” said Germanson. “They’re not merely historical.”

For example, in the song “Trickle Down,” Penn addresses the theme of greed, singing:

“Rich man loves his money, ain’t no doubt about that/ He gets crabby cuz he ain’t happy when the profits ain’t too fat.”

Larry Penn died Oct. 7, at age 87. Various musicians are expected to perform at Sunday evening’s memorial.

You can listen to songs recorded by Penn that appeared on the 2010 release, “I’m a Little Cookie — and Other Songs,” below: