As a child, Ferron (no last name) said that she quickly realized music meant fun. Now, as she prepares to celebrate her 60th birthday with a special reunion concert this weekend, she told Windy City Times that the meaning of music hasn't really changed much for her over the years.
"This birthday party show for me means fun, that's what its about," Ferron said. "I just want to be with everybody and enjoy it. ... Music still means fun, but it also is power, to have your own voice, to say your own truth, even if you're only saying it to one other person, it's valuable."
At 15, Ferron left a difficult home life with little more than a bag of belongings. She has since become one of the most enduring singer-songwriters in folk music. She has recorded 16 albums during her lengthy career and has inspired many female musicians, including the Indigo Girls, Ani Difranco, Bitch, J.D. Samson, Julie Wolf and Sam Parton. She has also received many accolades and praise throughout her career for her authentic voice and working class tales.
Rolling Stone has written of her, "Ferron writes of love with the relentless introspection of Leonard Cohen, and, as with classic Bob Dylan, her songs' tough, questioning attitude sometimes gives way to the unexpected."
Fellow musician and friend Bitch said of Ferron's songs, "Hearing them for the first time was like hearing someone name an unnamed part of myself."
Although she doesn't perform often anymore, Ferron said that her girlfriend asked her, "If you could have anything for your birthday, what would you want?" Ferron quickly replied, "a week with my band."
On Saturday, Aug. 4, her birthday wish will come true as her band joins her on stage at the the Riviera (50 N. Main St.) in Three Rivers, Mich. She will be joined by Bitch, who will open the show.
"It's an old Art Deco theater that these young guys resurrected and put back together," Ferron said. "I don't think they ever get a full house and I want to show them what a full house looks like, because they have worked so hard and it's a beautiful theater. So far we have half the house is sold in advance already with people coming from all over the country."
Ferron said that the audience can expect to hear some songs that haven't been played live in many years.
"I am throwing in a few loops this time, because if we never get together again then there's some songs that I've wanted us to play and we haven't played them for a really long time. So we'll see how that goes."
When performing older songs Ferron has said that they never seem outdated to her, but instead retain a fresh-ness and a new-ness. She said that this might be in part because she writes in the present tense, so her songs are always happening in the present.
"When we speak in the present tense, we live in the present tense," Ferron said. "So it all happens for me all over again, because the songs are written from images and the images sort of happen in a certain order that I don't think about until I am in the song and then I am off going through whatever it is I am going through now and whatever I was going through then. It's really, really an interesting experience."
One of the greatest compliments Ferron has received during her career has been, "this song saved my life." She thinks that it's in part because she writes songs that she calls "transition" or "process" songs, where she is desperately trying to cling to a philosophy of some sort for dear life. Audiences', especially women, seem to relate deeply to those songs.
"All humans need reflections of themselves," Bitch said. "We are social creatures. Because women musicians are less visible in our media we have had to name something 'women's music' as if everything else is 'men's music.' Ferron`s music moves men to tears too - but unfortunately they don't have the access to her music because they don't see themselves as part of 'women's music.'"
Her music has also been incredibly important to the lesbian community, especially since Ferron has always been out during her career.
"There was one year Driver came out," Ferron said. "It was number two on Stephen Holden's list for the year, and there were all these pictures—Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and me. Underneath my picture they put "lesbian singer-songwriter" and I thought that was really strange because they didn't specify the sexuality of anybody else. I think what they were probably trying to honor is that lesbian is a political position as well as a personal preference, but it meant that I couldn't elbow the guy next to me on the plane and show him my picture, because then I had to come out to him at the same time. Even if it is a political statement they didn't say 'Communist' or 'Socialist' or 'right-wing.' I don't think they would bother doing that anymore."
Ferron has seen many changes during her career. In addition to the lessening importance of a musician's sexuality, she has also seen a great opportunity for folk musicians arise through social media and computer software. She said that the folk-music community has really grown over the years to be quite large as more and more people are able to connect with one another and have increased ability to get their music out to the world.
As she celebrates her 60th birthday she is showing no signs of slowing down. She still performs occasionally, but is more focused right now on Fen Fest, an annual, weeklong retreat now in its seventh year. She invites artists from all walks of life to come join her Aug. 14-19. She is also hoping to open a coffee house in Kalamazoo, Mich., in the fall for musicians to come play to crowds of 25-40 people.
For concert information, visit www.ferrononline.com/events/ferrons-60th-birthday-party. For information regarding Fen Fest email ferronferron@gmail.com or visit www.ferrononline.com/events/fenfest-2012.
