Milwaukee’s folk scene lost one of its fixtures this week. A staple of local stages and union rallies for decades, singer-songwriter Larry Penn passed away on Wednesday after a long illness.
“He was loved in many different communities,” said Milwaukee musician Lil Rev, Penn’s friend and occasional collaborator. “The Wisconsin labor community; the IWW [Industrial Workers of the World] community; the kids' music community, these were all the different places where people knew him. And of course, he was a retired teamster, so he carried that history with him.”
Penn’s union background informed albums like 1980’s Workin’ For A Livin’ and 1989’s Stickin' With the Union: Songs From Wisconsin Labor History. According to Lil Rev, Penn’s interest in social justice stemmed from his Catholic upbringing.
“He came of age in the Catholic Church and he credited that for his strong sense of civic duty,” said Lil Rev. “Larry and his wife were part of the marches on the viaduct with Father Groppi for fair housing, which were historic. There was a strong sense of justice and fairness that coursed through his veins; he always believed that people working hard should be able to get their fair share.”
That’s not to say all of Penn’s work was political. He also held a lifelong fascination with railroads and trains, which he explored on albums including 1992’s When Steam Was King: Songs From The West Bound Rails, 2001’s Trains, Tramps & Traditions and 2004’s Railroad Queens of the Past. When he wasn’t singing about trains he was making them (model ones, that is) and documenting the people who rode them, photographing hobo art and graffiti.
“He was fascinated by the lore of the railway and how it transformed America in so many different ways, and also just the sheer beauty and power of it as a mode of transportation,” Lil Rev said. “He was a trucker, so means of transportation fascinated him.”
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A public memorial for Penn will be held at Anodyne Coffee in Walker’s Point on Sunday, Oct. 19, from 5 to 9 p.m.
