Phillips, 73, died in Nevada City, Calif., where he resided. Phillips described himself as the "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest" and was an influence for artists such as Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez and Tom Waits, who have recorded his songs. An album Phillips recorded with Ani DiFranco received a Grammy nomination.

Phillips' songs included "John D. Lee," a recounting of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Another song, "Scofield Mine Disaster," recalled the 1900 central Utah coal mine explosion that killed 200 people.

Phillips' son, Duncan Phillips, who lives in Salt Lake City, said his father was enthralled with Utah's working class, particularly Mormons and their folklore.

Born May 15, 1935, in Cleveland to labor organizer parents, Bruce Phillips and his family came to Utah in 1947.

Bruce Phillips served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Phillips returned to the states and was drinking and "bumming" on freight trains when he ended up in a Salt Lake City homeless shelter. He went on to work as an archivist for the state, where he learned much of Utah's history.

Bruce Phillips left Salt Lake City in 1969, believing that a failed run for the U.S. Senate with the Peace and Freedom Party left him blacklisted.

"He tried to get work and everywhere turned him down," Duncan Phillips said.

A short time later, he released his first album. After years of touring, Bruce Phillips settled in Nevada City, Calif., with his fourth wife, Joanna Robinson.

Phillips' other survivors include another son and a daughter, several stepchildren, brothers and sisters and a grandchild. The family requests memorial donations go to Hospitality House, a homeless shelter founded by Phillips in Grass Valley, Calif. Additional information is available at www.hospitalityhouse shelter.org.

ncarlisle@sltrib.com

lwhitehurst@sltrib.com