“Up in the U.P.” with Bill Jamerson

A Musical Tribute to the Upper Peninsula Iron Miner

Ironwood based singer/storyteller Bill Jamerson will present an hour-long program of songs and stories about life in the iron mining towns of the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin at the Mercer Public Library on Tuesday, June 13 at 2 pm.  The presentation is free and open to the public.

Jamerson’s music and storytelling presentation is an honest and fun look at people both ordinary and extraordinary, with stories of strength, wit and charm.  Dressed as an iron miner with guitar in hand, Jamerson performs songs and tells stories that were told to him by men who worked in mines in Marquette County.  These include stories about drilling and blasting, union organizing, the immigrant story and growing up in a company town.  It’s a program that all ages will enjoy.

Some of the songs he will perform include Born to be a Miner, which tells the story of a boy growing up in The Great Depression; New Americans, which describes the waves of immigrant groups that came to the Midwest; and Thimbleberry Jam, a song about two brothers who visit their grandmother’s boarding house in Republic.  The songs range from heart-warming ballads to foot stomping jigs. These songs also reflect the experience of people who lived in the northern Wisconsin mining towns along the Gogebic range including Hurley, Montreal, and Mellen.

For more information about the program, call the Mercer Public Library at 715-476-2366 or visit Jamerson’s website, billjamerson.com.