Editing Utah Phillips (section)

==Later years and death==
Though known primarily for his work as a concert performer and labor organizer, Phillips also worked as an archivist, dishwasher, and warehouse-man.<ref name="obituary">{{cite web |url=http://www.theunion.com/article/20080529/OBITUARIES/482688530/1046%26parentprofile%3D1058 |title=Bruce Phillips |access-date=7 June 2008 |date=May 29, 2008 |work=[[The Union (newspaper)|The Union]] |archive-date=May 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524100907/http://www.theunion.com/article/20080529/OBITUARIES/482688530/1046%26parentprofile%3D1058 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Phillips was a member of various socio-political organizations and groups throughout his life. A strong supporter of labor struggles, he was a member of the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] (IWW), the [[Western Federation of Miners|International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers]] (Mine Mill), and the [[Travelling Musician's Union AFM Local 1000]]. In solidarity with the poor, he was also an honorary member of [[Dignity Village]], a homeless community. A pacifist, he was a member of [[Veterans for Peace]] and the [[Peace Center of Nevada County]].<ref name="obituary"/>

In his personal life, Phillips enjoyed varied hobbies and interests. These included [[Egyptology]]; amateur [[chemistry]]; [[linguistics]]; history ([[History of Asia|Asian]], [[History of Africa|African]], [[History of the Latter Day Saint movement|Mormon]] and [[World history (field)|world]]); [[Runes|futhark]]; [[debate]]; and poetry. He also enjoyed culinary hobbies, such as [[pickling]], cooking and gardening.<ref name="obituary"/>

He married Joanna Robinson on July 31, 1989, in Nevada City.<ref name="obituary"/>
[[Image:Utah Phillips death note.png|thumb|Acetate stencil commemorating Phillips]]
Phillips became an elder statesman for the folk music community, and a keeper of stories and songs that might otherwise have passed into obscurity. He was also a member of the great [[Traveling Nation]], the community of hobos and railroad bums that populates the Midwest United States along the rail lines, and was an important keeper of their history and culture. He also became an honorary member of numerous folk societies in the US and Canada.<ref name="obituary"/>

When Kate Wolf grew ill and was forced to cancel concerts, she asked Phillips to fill in. Suffering from an ailment which makes it more difficult to play guitar, Phillips hesitated, citing his declining guitar ability. "Nobody ever came just to hear you play," she said. Phillips told this story as a way of explaining how his style over the years became increasingly based on storytelling instead of just songs. He was a gifted storyteller and monologist, and his concerts generally had an even mix of spoken word and sung content. He attributed much of his success to his personality. "It is better to be likeable than talented," he often said, self-deprecatingly.

From 1997 to 2001, Phillips hosted his own weekly radio show, ''Loafer's Glory: The Hobo Jungle of the Mind,'' originating on [[KVMR]] and nationally syndicated. The show was suspended after 100 episodes due to lack of funding.

Phillips lived in [[Nevada City, California]], for 21 years where he worked on the start-up of the [[house of hospitality|Hospitality House]], a homeless shelter,<ref>{{cite news |title= Utah Phillips: Folksinger, songwriter and bard of the last days of the US railroad |first= Tony |last=Russell |newspaper= [[The Guardian]]|date= June 24, 2008 
|url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jun/24/obituaries.culture |access-date= December 29, 2009 | location=London}}</ref> and the Peace and Justice Center. "It's my town. Nevada City is a primary seed-bed for community organizing."<ref name="theunion"/>

In August 2007, Phillips announced that he would undergo [[catheter ablation]] to address his heart problems.<ref>{{ cite web |last=Phillips |first=U.Utah |title=The Latest From FW Utah Phillips |url=http://www.iww.org/en/node/3587 |format=announcement |access-date=24 February 2008 }}</ref> Later that autumn, Phillips announced that due to health problems he could no longer tour.<ref>{{cite web |last=Phillips |first=Utah |title=Retirement Announcement |url=http://www.utahphillips.org/podcast/utah20071011.mp3 |format=mp3 |access-date=1 March 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080227205154/http://www.utahphillips.org/podcast/utah20071011.mp3 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = February 27, 2008}}</ref> By January 2008, he decided against a [[Heart transplantation|heart transplant]].<ref name="theunion"/>

Phillips died May 23, 2008, in [[Nevada City, California]], from complications of heart disease, eight days after his 73rd birthday,<ref name="kvmr" /> and is buried in Forest View Cemetery in Nevada City.<ref name="theunion"/>