Well known at Chicago coffeehouses and clubs, especially during the 1970s and 1980s, Clemmens also toured nationally on the women’s and folk music circuits. Her Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues was one of her signature albums and songs.
In recent years, Clemmens lived and performed in Hawaii. The Maui News reported that ‘Maui music lovers were devastated [Feb. 17] when they learned that Virginia ‘Ginni’ Clemmens, a Makawao blues singer who once shared the stage with such legends as Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan, had been identified as the victim of a fatal car accident on the Pukalani bypass [Feb. 15].
Clemmens died at the scene of the accident that occurred when her car was struck broadside by a Jeep as she tried to cross the bypass at Makani Road. Police said Clemmens failed to yield the right-of-way, the Maui News reported.
Clemmens had once performed with Seeger, Dylan, John Prine and Bill Cosby. After she taught the late Mama Cass Elliott one of her favorite tunes, ‘Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues,’ Elliott recorded it, the paper said.
Clemmens was among the contributors to the Windy City Times/Outlines lesbian music CD High Risk released three years ago. She produced the album Underneath Hawaiian Skies in celebration of her 65th birthday.
There will be a celebration of the life of Ginni Clemmens Sunday, March 2 at Palauea (White Rock Beach, south end) in Makena on Maui. If you have comments, e-mail to:
ginniclemmens@yahoogroups.com.