Folk music legend Michael Hurley has died, aged 83.
Hurley was a pioneer of the outsider folk and freak folk movements in the 1960s. His death was confirmed by his family. In a statement to Rolling Stone, his family said: “It is with a resounding sadness that the Hurley family announces the recent sudden passing of the inimitable Michael Hurley. The ‘Godfather of freak folk’ was for a prolific half-century the purveyor of an eccentric genius and compassionate wit. He alone was Snock. There is no other. Friends, family, and the music community deeply mourn his loss.”
His family did not offer a cause of death.
Michael Hurley honed his eccentric perspective in folk music in the 1960s, releasing his debut album ‘First Songs’ in 1964. Among his other celebrated works were the albums ‘Armchair Boogie’, ‘Hi Fi Snock Uptown’ and the 1976 classic ‘Have Moicy!’, the latter of which went on to become and underground cult favourite.
Hurley released over 30 albums in his lifetime, and his biggest hits were songs like ‘The Werewolf’, ‘O My Stars’, ‘Twilight Zone’, ‘Hog of the Forsaken’, ‘It Must Be Gelatine’, ‘Slurf Song’, ‘You Got To Find Me’ and more.
Besides his unique take on folk music, Michael Hurley was also known for his creative hand-illustrated album artwork.
Hurley inspired the likes of Lucinda Williams, Cat Power – who interpreted ‘The Werewolf’ on her 2003 album ‘You Are Free’, and Devendra Banhart, who would later release several Hurley albums through his Gnomonsong label.
In 2018, Hurley made a cameo appearance in the acclaimed film Leave No Trace, performing ‘O My Stars’.
Hurley’s last album was 2021’s ‘The Time of the Foxgloves’, but continued to write and perform in recent years. Just days before his death, Michael performed at the Big Ears festival in Tennessee.
Following the news of his death, several musicians have paid tribute to Michael Hurley. The Walkmen‘s Hamilton Leithauser shared a link to the folk legend’s ‘I Paint A Design’, while Langhorne Slim wrote in an Instagram story also paying homage to the recently deceased Val Kilmer: “Two giants of their craft. Both changed the way I saw things after experiencing their work. Both expanded my perception of art. Kings of cool. Rest in peace and thank you.”
See more tributes below.
RIP Michael Hurley 🙌 https://t.co/qDEpWTsu8s
— Hamilton Leithauser (@HLeithauser) April 3, 2025
Me with Michael Hurley. Quite possibly the worst photo ever taken of him. The flaming lips were playing in the background and he said “what is this shit?” RIP pic.twitter.com/AwTugJhD0Y
— Ryley walker (@ryleywalker) April 3, 2025
RIP michael hurley. i just saw him play 5 days ago at what i think was his last set. i could not stop crying the entire time bc it was so powerful to see him still doing his extremely singular and beautiful thing. a massive inspiration.
— more eaze (@more_eaze) April 3, 2025
