Rest in Peace Bill Hinkley

BY ED FELIEN

When the music magic started to happen on the West Bank in the 1960s, if you thought of folk music you thought of Maury Bernstein. He was an encyclopedia of musical styles and exotic cultures. He had a folk music program on the U of M radio station. When I went to a Jewish wedding almost 40 years ago, Maury played the Hora and Klezmer music on his accordion. Bill Hinkley and Judy Larson accompanied him. I’d heard Bill and Judy play folk music before, but I was amazed at his versatility in playing Balkan dance music.

Bill was so generous with his talents. He gave all the energy he had to his tudents. And he and Judy would play for any worthy or hopeless leftist cause. I was one of the latter, and he and Judy graciously donated their energies to my fundraisers when I foolishly tilted my lance at elected office.

The last time I saw him was over a year ago at the annual spring bluegrass festival in Plymouth. I ran into him in the halls with his fiddle under his arm and a wonderful twinkle in his eye. It was on the second floor of the hotel where small conference rooms had been turned into jamming rooms for people of all talents wanting to play. He smiled at me and said, “I’m working on quality control.” I thought at the time how wonderful that a man with his experience would take the time to tutor the freshman class of bluegrass musicians.

Bill died May 25, 2010 from a blood disorder in a hospice at the Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center. He was 67.

There will be a memorial celebration of the life of Bill Hinkley at the Nicollet Island Pavilion on Wednesday, July 7, from 5 to 11 p.m. The pavilion
is at 40 Power Street on Nicollet Island.

There’s a “Friends of Bill Hinkley and Judy Larson” on Facebook with
pictures, comments and this announcement:

“There will be a program honoring Bill, followed by music and shared memories. Unfortunately we were unable to find an appropriate location where we could host a potluck, so it will be a catered affair with a cash bar. (Just to be clear, by catered we mean hors d’oeuvres—not dinner.)

“As you may expect: these things cost money and that is the biggest help
anyone can offer right now. Checks should be made out to Judy Larson and
sent to 1015 20th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418, or you can send money via
PayPal as a gift to pegheads@aol.com. Any excess donations will be used to
set up a scholarship fund in Bill’s name.”

He taught us all the joy of making music, and now the somber cadence of
sorrow muffles the lightness of his violin and mandolin. We will never be
the same without him, but because of him there are young musicians reaching
for magic. Bill Hinkley lives in that ever-expanding universe.