Man, I cry for Hedy . . . I have been singing her stuff for years, like Fair Rosamund, and I will keep singing it in her memory. Play on, dear woman . . .play on, and keep those angels in tune too . . .

Hedy’s father and mother, Don and Connie West, established the Appalachian South Folklife Center in Pipestem, W.Va. Many WV people knew the family and were saddened to hear about Hedy. If someone would post her obituary when it appears, it would be much appreciated.

I met Hedy West in 1972 and held her in the highest regard. A wonderful talent indeed. I’m saddened to hear of her passing. As Yvonne mentioned in an earlier post, I would like to see her obituary.

I’ll certainly post anything else that I find. -Ken

I would like to see her obituary, also. I was a college friend of hers.

i didnt know her or listen to her music, but im doing a report on her.

I am learning about her in my class at clay county high school. She was appreciated for her works.

I just learned that she recorded The Lament of Barney Graham. My grandmother, Della Mae, wrote that poem about her father when she was only 12 years of age. I also learned that Hedy’s father, Don, knew my grandma, at that time. I would have loved to have known her. I have written more about Barney, the disputes that led to his death on my website, My Appalachian Heritage.

Hedy stayed at our house when I was a kid when dad brought her to sweden for some performances in the 70s. It was very nice to have her on this brief visit, she was very friendly and the music just oozed out of her most of the time. Remember her sitting in that white easy chair in dads study room picking her banjo. She paid attention to us kids too, not just the grown ups. Hedy used a strong perfumed shower lotion that you simply couldn’t ignore, and she gave me a nice signed copy of her song book with a comic drawing of her self playing banjo. That book must have been immersed in the bath tub because every time you opened it you could smell her. It was so solid that years after she left, you could still smell her each time you opened that book.