November 2004

	November 2004

Two Lesbian Music Pioneers

Casse Culver and Therese Edell

In Memoriam: Therese Edell, March 12, 1950 - March 14, 2011
Casse Culver, March 7, 1944 - December 4, 2019

Casse Culver

Artist Sites
Therese Edell
Betsy Lippitt
Alix Dobkin
Jamie Anderson

Playlist

Therese Edell - Good Friends Are The Best
Casse Culver - Watch Out Where You Step (1974)
Casse Culver - It Was Me (1974)
Boo Price comments on Casse Culver
Casse Culver - I'm Late Again (1976)
Casse Culver - What Are We Going To Do
About Anita? (1977)
Casse Culver - Ride Sally Ride (1983)
Therese Edell - A Woman's Love (1977)
Therese Edell - Moonflower (1977)
Alix Dobkin comments on Therese Edell
Therese Edell - Take Back the Guns (1977, part)
Therese Edell - Emma (1977)
Boo Price comments on Therese Edell
Jamie Anderson comments on Therese Edell
Therese Edell - Conversation (1979)
Betsy Lippitt - For Therese (1987)
Jamie Anderson Comments on Therese Edell
Therese Edell - Mama Let Your Children Go (1977)

Therese Edell, photo by Toni Armstrong Jr, early 1978

Casse Culver

Casse Culver, 1975

Above, from Paid My Dues magazine, pic of Casse at the National Radical Feminist Conference, in 1975; below, two pics from the back of her album

Casse Culver, 1976, photo by JEB

Culver x3

Left, Casse Culver's "Three Gypsies" album from 1976,
and above, pic from album inner sleeve

Culver, Sandstrom, Adam, photo by JEB

Above, Casse Culver, Boden Sandstrom and Margie Adam working on the "Three Gypsies" album; below, the rare 45 rpm record of Casse's song about Anita Bryant

1977 45 rpm record

Casse Culver, 1977, photo by Diana Davies

Above left, pic of Casse from late 70s;
on the right is Casse at the Boston Women's Music Festival, April 1977

Dykes In A Truck

For her "Three Gypsies" recording session, Casse Culver assembled a who's who of early women's music

Click for additiional Casse Culver photos, song lyrics and more!

Interview Comments By:

Boo Price
Barbara (Boo) Price Alix Dobkin Jamie Anderson

Click for additiional Therese Edell photos, song lyrics, song list, and more!

Therese Edell

"From Women's Faces" was issued with two different jackets. The original is at the left and by passing your mouse over it you can see the slightly changed second cover. The back cover was completely changed for the second version.

Lippitt, Boykin, Edell (photo by Irene Young) album ad, 1978

Above left is a favorite photo, showing (left to right) Betsy Lippitt, Teresa Boykin, and Therese Edell. Teresa is Theresa's long-time partner. To the right is an ad for the album from Paid My Dues, Winter 1978. Below are the pics accompanying an interview in Paid My Dues, Spring 1978.

Therese Edell, photo by Toni Armstrong Jr, early 1978

Therese Edell: "Women's music is...Let's see. Damn. Music made by women that makes other women
feel like they are strong human beings in their own right." (from an interview in "Paid My Dues," 1978)

Therese Edell and Holly Near Therese Edell and Kate Clinton, photo by Marcy Hochberg or Toni Armstrong Jr (I've seen it credited both ways)

Above left, with Holly Near, and at right, with Kate Clinton at the 1986 Michigan Women's Music Festival

In 1999, with the assistance of Ladyslipper Music, "From Women's Faces" was reissed on CD. I wish it would have been a two disc-set, as only 6 of the original 12 songs were present, although 7 new songs were added...some treasures are missing, but new treasures are found. In 1990 to honor her 40th birthday a gala concert was held in Cincinnati.

You'd have to call gala an event that featured the Cincinnati Women's Choir (Muse) and the Atlanta Feminist Women's Choir, along with special guests Betsy Lippitt, Sue Fink, Deidre McCalla, Louise Anderson, Annie Dinerman, Kay Gardner, and others. Therese solos on one verse of an approprite closing song "O My Friends." The CD features seven more of Therese's songs not previously recorded, including a piece originally commissioned for Musica Femina.

Therese Edell, photo by Car Anderson, circa 1990

Betsy Lippitt

Below, Betsy Lippitt toured with Therese for years, and appeared on her album. Betsy release her won album in 1987, which included the tribute song "For Therese," which she reprised as part of the 1990 concert.

Betsy Lippitt Betsy Lippitt 1987 album

Betsy Lippitt ad, 1988

Click for additiional Therese Edell photos, song lyrics, song list, and more!

Music by many of the artists heard on QMH can be found at
Goldenrod Music. Please click on the photo to visit their site.

In Memoriam: Therese Edell, March 12, 1950 - March 14, 2011

Alix Dobkin sent me the following in an email
and agreed to my posting her thoughts (3/16/11).

Last Sept after a show in Cincinnati. I visited with Therese for about an hour & found that she still
had her wit & her wits about her. She managed to squeeze an awful lot of life from her poor,
devastated body & I am gratified that she was able to hang out for awhile.

Naturally, like all of you, I'm thankful for her brilliant contributions to our culture & unique
presence in our community. She was the first to educate our community about disabilities on
a massive scale. So many of us never gave it a thought until she made it personal for us.
Personally, I will always be grateful to Therese for dubbing me "Head Lesbian" in the mid '70s
after she first heard "A Woman's Love."

Occasionally she would call &, after listening to a long pause wondering if it was an obscene caller,
eventually I'd hear a breathy voice deliver a smart remark followed by a slow but satisfying conversation.

Of course Therese wrote great songs: smart, interesting, touching & best of all, funny. I plan to
add "Good Friends Are the Best" to my repertoire because it's such a terrific tune & will
give me a chance to mention her during appearances.

I honor Therese for her songwriting, wit, and spirit and, as a beloved public figure,
for taking us on her journey with Multiple Sclerosis and its disabilities in a personal way.

Love to you all & please keep yourselves well,

XXAlix

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