Editing Phil Ochs

{{Short description|American singer and songwriter (1940–1976)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name              = Phil Ochs
| image             = File:20111015 174748 phil-ochs (cropped).jpg
| caption           = Ochs outside the offices of the [[National Student Association]], 1975
| background        = solo_singer
| birth_name        = Philip David Ochs
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1940|12|19|mf=y}}
| birth_place       = [[El Paso, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1976|4|9|1940|12|19}}
| death_place       = [[Far Rockaway, Queens|Far Rockaway]], New York City, U.S.
| origin            = [[New York City]], U.S.
| instrument        = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals|piano}}
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Folk music|Folk]]|[[protest music]]|[[folk rock]]|[[Baroque pop]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}
| discography       = {{hlist|[[Phil Ochs discography|Albums and singles]]|[[List of songs recorded by Phil Ochs|songs]]}}
| years_active      = 1962–1976
| label             = {{hlist|[[Elektra Records|Elektra]]|[[A&M Records|A&M]]}}
| spouse            = {{Marriage|Alice Skinner|1962}}
}}

'''Philip David Ochs''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|oʊ|k|s}}; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter, [[protest song|protest singer]] (or, as he preferred, "topical singer"), and [[Political Activist|political activist]]. Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, and political commentary. He wrote approximately 200 songs<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Taylor|first1=Harvey|date=1965-10-10 |title=A Singing Radical Sits for Closeup |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/156616622/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |work=Detroit Free Press |pages=163}}</ref> throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and released eight albums.

Ochs performed at many political events throughout the course of his career—including the [[1968 Democratic National Convention]], multiple mass demonstrations sponsored by the [[National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam]], [[civil rights movement|civil rights]] rallies, student events, and [[Labour movement|organized labor]] events—and was known to perform at benefits for free. Politically, early in his career, Ochs described himself as a "left social democrat,"<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dbs9f8S7mVYC&q=left+social+democrat&pg=PT815|title=The Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music: From Adele to Ziggy, the Real A to Z of Rock and Pop|last=Jones|first=Dylan|date=October 30, 2012|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=9781250031884|language=en}}</ref> but became an early revolutionary after the [[1968 Democratic National Convention protests|police riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention]], which had a profound effect on his state of mind.

After years of prolific writing in the 1960s, Ochs' mental stability declined in the 1970s. He had a number of mental health problems, including [[Depression (mood)|depression]], [[bipolar disorder]] and [[alcoholism]], and died by [[suicide]] on April 9, 1976.

Ochs' influences included [[Woody Guthrie]], [[Pete Seeger]], [[Buddy Holly]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Bob Gibson (musician)|Bob Gibson]], [[Faron Young]], and [[Merle Haggard]]. His best-known songs include "[[I Ain't Marching Anymore (song)|I Ain't Marching Anymore]]", "When I'm Gone", "Changes", "[[Crucifixion (song)|Crucifixion]]", "[[Draft Dodger Rag]]", "[[Love Me, I'm a Liberal]]", "[[Outside of a Small Circle of Friends]]", "[[Power and the Glory]]", "[[There but for Fortune (song)|There but for Fortune]]", and "[[The War Is Over (Phil Ochs song)|The War Is Over]]".

==Early life==
Philip David Ochs was born on December 19, 1940,<ref>Stanton, p. 351</ref> in [[El Paso, Texas]], to Jacob "Jack" Ochs (August 11, 1909 – April 30, 1963),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Texas, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1852-1991 |url=https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/24286782?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2239347539754844416d4751365a696b4c6672577559554e55693033796367375332353971533336326d59303d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Ancestry.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ohio, U.S., Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2022 |url=https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/24288301?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2258475662526233466c556354573830496e587079556874655257645571597374756f64714e57437a7947733d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Ancestry.com |language=en-US}}</ref> a physician who was born in New York<ref>Schumacher, p. 13.</ref> to Polish-Jewish parents, and Gertrude Ochs (née Phin; February 26, 1912 – March 9, 1994),<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 |url=https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/24286906?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a22566d582b396f326a766b2b464c47575a6b5178525077654a48662b2f695073616a304b6e6e6848436167453d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Ancestry.com |language=en-US}}</ref> who was born in Scotland<ref>Schumacher, pp. 11–12.</ref> to Jewish parents. His parents met and married in [[Edinburgh]] where Jack was attending medical school,<ref name=Brend100>Brend, p. 100.</ref> and afterwards moved to the United States. Ochs grew up with an older sister, [[Sonny Ochs|Sonia]] (known as Sonny, born April 12, 1937),<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S., Consular Reports of Births, 1910-1949 |url=https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/24291048?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a22726b33525359735377326c32486148725938664354376a4f5133524f6a74527277536d47573143637547633d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Ancestry.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and a younger brother, [[Michael Ochs|Michael]] (born February 27, 1943).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Texas, U.S., Birth Index, 1903-1997 |url=https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/24290957?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a224444724c727677705066583368636f342b6b6435504f484c4c6f4d707177414e533741447365436f7748383d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Ancestry.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Cohen2">Cohen (1999), p.2</ref>

After being drafted into the army, Jack was sent overseas near the end of World War II and treated soldiers at the [[Battle of the Bulge]]. His war experiences, however, affected his mental health and he received an honorable medical discharge in November 1945.<ref>Schumacher, p. 17.</ref> Upon arriving home, Jack was hospitalized for [[bipolar disorder]] and depression,<ref>Schumacher, pp. 16–17, 21.</ref> and was distant from his wife and children. He was also unable to establish a successful medical practice and instead worked at a series of hospitals around the country.<ref name=Brend100/> As a result, Ochs and his family moved frequently: first to [[Far Rockaway, Queens|Far Rockaway]], New York, when Ochs was a teenager; then to [[Perrysburg (town), New York|Perrysburg]] in western New York, where he first studied music; and then to [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]], Ohio.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 20, 23–24.</ref>

As a teen, Phil Ochs was recognized as a talented clarinet player; in an evaluation, one music instructor wrote: "You have exceptional musical feeling and the ability to transfer it on your instrument is abundant."<ref>Schumacher, p. 24.</ref> His musical skills allowed him to play clarinet with the orchestra at the [[Capital University|Capital University Conservatory of Music]] in Ohio, where he rose to the status of principal soloist before he was 16. Although Ochs played classical music, he soon became interested in other music sounds he heard on the radio, such as early rock icons (Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley)<ref name="wolf"/> and country artists (Merle Haggard, Faron Young, [[Ernest Tubb]], [[Hank Williams]], and [[Johnny Cash]]).<ref>Schumacher, pp. 24–27.</ref>

Ochs also spent a lot of time at the movies while living in Far Rockaway, as there were three theaters in town. Because his mother did not want to hire a babysitter, she instead gave her sons money and the brothers saw five to six films each week.<ref>Eliot (1989), p. 12, 13.</ref> He especially liked big screen heroes ([[John Wayne]]<ref name="wolf"/> and [[Audie Murphy]]<ref name="Acoustic-Sonny">{{cite web| url=http://www.acousticmusicscene.com/2011/01/16/sonny-ochs-reflects-on-her-brother-phil-and-a-new-film-about-him/|title=Sonny Ochs Reflects on Her Brother Phil and a New Film About Him|last=Kornfeld |first=Michael|date=January 16, 2011|work=Acoustic Music Scene|access-date=January 18, 2011}}</ref>) and later developed an interest in movie rebels ([[Marlon Brando]] and [[James Dean]]).<ref>Eliot (1989), pp. 5, 8, 13.</ref>

=== Education and journalism: 1956–1961 ===
From 1956 to 1958, Ochs was a student at the [[Staunton Military Academy]] in rural Virginia. After graduating, he returned to Columbus and enrolled at [[Ohio State University]].<ref>Schumacher, pp. 26–28.</ref> Unhappy after his first quarter, 18-year-old Ochs took a leave of absence and traveled to Florida, where he was jailed for two weeks for sleeping on a park bench in Miami, an incident he would later recall:

<blockquote>Somewhere during the course of those fifteen days I decided to become a writer. My primary thought was journalism ... so in a flash, I decided—I'll be a writer and a major in journalism.<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |author=Phil Ochs |last2=Doggett |first2=P. |year=2001 |title=All the News That's Fit to Sing/I Ain't Marching Anymore |type=CD reissue |publisher=Elektra |id=8122 73564-2}}</ref></blockquote>

[[File:Bob Gibson c 1960 (JJH).jpg|thumb|80px|Folk singer [[Bob Gibson (musician)|Bob Gibson]] was a major influence on Ochs' writing.]]

Ochs returned to Ohio State to study journalism and developed an interest in politics, with a particular interest in the [[Cuban Revolution]] of 1959. At Ohio State, he met [[Jim Glover]], a fellow student who was a devotee of [[folk music]] and whose father was a socialist. Glover introduced Ochs to the music of [[Pete Seeger]], [[Woody Guthrie]], and [[the Weavers]]. Glover taught Ochs how to play guitar, and they debated politics.<ref name="Acoustic-Sonny"/> Ochs began writing newspaper articles, often on radical themes. When the student paper refused to publish some of his more radical articles, he started his own underground newspaper called ''The Word'', as well as writing for the satire magazine, ''[[Sundial Humor Magazine|The Sundial]]'', with fellow classmate [[R. L. Stine]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-28 |title=Phil and Me |url=https://celebratingphilochs.com/phil-and-me/ |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=Celebrating Phil Ochs |language=en}}</ref> His two main interests, politics and music, soon merged, and Ochs began writing topical political songs. Ochs and Glover formed a duet called "The Singing Socialists",<ref name="uncut">{{cite news|title=The Power and the Glory|last=Houghton|first=Mick|author2=Allan Jones|date=March 2011|work=Uncut}} Page 60.</ref> later renamed "The Sundowners", but the duo broke up before their first professional performance and Glover went to [[New York City]] to become a folksinger.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 33–41.</ref>

Ochs' parents and younger brother had moved from Columbus to [[Cleveland]], and Ochs started to spend more time there, performing professionally at a local folk club called Farragher's Back Room. He was the opening act for a number of musicians in the summer of 1961, including the [[Smothers Brothers]].<ref>Schumacher, pp. 41–42.</ref> Ochs met folk singer [[Bob Gibson (musician)|Bob Gibson]] that summer as well, and according to [[Dave Van Ronk]], Gibson became "''the'' seminal influence" on Ochs' writing.<ref>Schumacher, p. 43.</ref> Ochs continued at Ohio State into his senior year, but was bitterly disappointed at not being appointed editor-in-chief of the college newspaper, and dropped out in his last quarter without graduating. He left for New York, as Glover had, to become a folksinger.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 44–45.</ref>

== Career ==
=== New York City: 1962–1966 ===
{{quote box|width=40%|quote=In the early 1960s, there was a [[folk music]] rebirth in this country with the likes of [[Peter, Paul and Mary]], [[Joan Baez]], [[Pete Seeger]] and [[Bob Dylan]]. Although his fame was probably limited, Ochs became an integral part of that crowd. His songs "[[Draft Dodger Rag]]" and "[[I Ain't Marching Anymore (song)|I Ain't Marching Anymore]]" became a rallying cry for the [[Opposition to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War|peace movement]] much the way that Dylan's did. |salign=right |author=Leba Hertz |source="'Phil Ochs' Review: A Voice Made for Marching", ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', March 18, 2011<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Phil-Ochs-review-A-voice-made-for-marching-2389322.php |title='Phil Ochs' Review: A Voice Made for Marching |first=Leba |last=Hertz |date=March 18, 2011 |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |access-date=November 20, 2018 }}</ref> }}

Ochs arrived in New York City in 1962 and began performing in numerous small folk nightclubs, eventually becoming an integral part of the [[Greenwich Village]] folk music scene.<ref>Schumacher, p. 53.</ref> He emerged as an unpolished but passionate vocalist who wrote pointed songs about current events: war, [[civil rights]], [[labour movement|labor struggles]] and other topics. While others described his music as "protest songs", Ochs preferred the term "topical songs".<ref>Brend, pp. 101–102.</ref>

However, in order to get by, in November 1962, Ochs accepted $50 to record a children's album, a collection of traditional popular [[campfire songs]], titled ''[[Camp Favorites]]'' (1963).<ref>{{Cite web |date=1963 |title=Phil Ochs - First Real Album (Campfire Songs) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D91B6ind6U |access-date=May 3, 2024 |website=YouTube |via=June 2, 2014}}</ref> In 1963, [[Cameo Records]] released this budget LP.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1963 |title=The Campers – Camp Favorites |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/4319109-The-Campers-Camp-Favorites |access-date=May 3, 2024 |website=Discogs}}</ref> Ochs requested his name not be used and it wasn't until well after his death that its existence became known. The Campers consists of Ochs (who is not credited on the record), an unknown female vocalist and a group of children.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-08-17 |title=Camp Favorites |url=https://celebratingphilochs.com/camp-favorites/ |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Celebrating Phil Ochs |language=en}}</ref><ref>Cohen, David. "Another Side of Phil Ochs". 2000.</ref>

Ochs described himself as a "singing journalist",<ref>{{cite book |last=Buckley |first=Peter |title=The Rough Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to More Than 1200 Artists and Bands |edition=3 |year=2003 |publisher=Rough Guides |location=London |isbn=978-1-85828-457-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/roughguidetorock00roug/page/742 742] |url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetorock00roug/page/742 }}</ref> saying he built his songs from stories he read in ''[[Newsweek]]''.<ref>Schumacher, p. 54.</ref> By the summer of 1963, he was sufficiently well known in folk circles to be invited to sing at the [[Newport Folk Festival]], where he performed "Too Many Martyrs" (co-written with Bob Gibson), "Talking Birmingham Jam", and "[[Power and the Glory]]"—his patriotic Guthrie-esque anthem that brought the audience to its feet. Other performers at the 1963 folk festival included [[Peter, Paul and Mary]], [[Joan Baez]], [[Bob Dylan]], and [[Tom Paxton]].<ref>Schumacher, pp. 59–63.</ref> Ochs' return appearance at Newport in 1964, where he performed "Draft Dodger Rag," "Talking Vietnam Blues," and other songs, was widely praised.<ref>Schumacher, p. 84.</ref> However, he was not invited to appear in 1965, the festival when Dylan famously performed "[[Maggie's Farm]]" with an electric guitar. Although many in the folk world decried Dylan's choice, Ochs admired Dylan's courage in defying the folk establishment, and publicly defended him.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 98, 101–104.</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Phil |last=Ochs |title=It Ain't Me, Babe |work=[[The Village Voice]] |date=August 12, 1967 }}</ref>

In 1963, Ochs performed at New York's [[Carnegie Hall]] and [[The Town Hall (New York City)|Town Hall]] in [[Hootenanny|hootenannies]].<ref>Schumacher, p. 67.</ref> He made his first solo appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1966.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 112–115.</ref> Throughout his career, Ochs would perform at a wide range of venues, including civil rights rallies, anti-war demonstrations, and concert halls.<ref>Cohen (1999), pp. 12–15.</ref>

Ochs contributed many songs and articles to the influential ''[[Broadside Magazine]]''.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 54–55.</ref><ref name="smithsonian">{{cite web |url=https://folkways.si.edu/search?query=Phil+Ochs |title=Smithsonian Folkways Recordings |publisher=Folkways.si.edu |access-date=March 24, 2018 }}</ref> He recorded his first three albums for [[Elektra Records]]: ''[[All the News That's Fit to Sing]]'' (1964), ''[[I Ain't Marching Anymore]]'' (1965), and ''[[Phil Ochs in Concert]]'' (1966).<ref>Cohen (1999), pp. 189–191.</ref> Critics wrote that each album was better than its predecessors, and fans seemed to agree; record sales increased with each new release.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 91–92, 117.</ref>

On these records, Ochs was accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. The albums contain many of Ochs's topical songs, such as "Too Many Martyrs", "[[I Ain't Marching Anymore (song)|I Ain't Marching Anymore]]", and "Draft Dodger Rag"; and some musical reinterpretation of older poetry, such as "[[The Highwayman (poem)|The Highwayman]]" (poem by [[Alfred Noyes]]) and "[[The Bells (poem)|The Bells]]" (poem by [[Edgar Allan Poe]]). ''Phil Ochs in Concert'' includes some more introspective songs, such as "Changes" and "When I'm Gone".<ref>Eliot (1989), pp. 77, 86–89, 99–103.</ref><ref>Schumacher, pp. 76–77, 90–91, 116–117.</ref>

During the early period of his career, Ochs and Bob Dylan had a friendly rivalry. Dylan said of Ochs, "I just can't keep up with Phil—and he's gettin' better and better".<ref>{{cite news |first=Karl |last=Dallas |title=Dylan Said It—'I Can't Keep Up With Phil' |work=[[Melody Maker]] |page=10 |date=November 27, 1965 }}</ref> On another occasion, when Ochs criticized either "[[One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)]]" or "[[Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?]]" (sources differ), Dylan threw him out of his limousine, saying, "You're not a folk singer. You're a journalist."<ref>Schumacher, p. 106.</ref>

In 1962, Ochs married Alice Skinner, who was pregnant with their daughter Meegan, in a [[civil marriage|City Hall ceremony]] with [[Jim Glover]] as best man and [[Jim and Jean|Jean Ray]] as bridesmaid, and witnessed by Dylan's girlfriend at the time, [[Suze Rotolo]].<ref name="Rotolo2008">{{cite book|last=Rotolo|first=Suze|author-link=Suze Rotolo|title=A freewheelin' time: a memoir of Greenwich Village in the sixties|year=2008|publisher=Broadway Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0-7679-2687-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780767926874/page/249 249]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780767926874/page/249}}</ref><ref>Eliot (1979), pp. 61-63.</ref> Phil and Alice separated in 1965, but they never divorced.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 58, 67, 92.</ref><ref>Eliot (1989), p. 148.</ref>

Like many people of his generation, Ochs deeply admired President [[John F. Kennedy]], even though he disagreed with the president on issues such as the [[Bay of Pigs Invasion]], the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], and the growing [[Role of the United States in the Vietnam War|involvement of the United States in the Vietnamese civil war]]. When Kennedy [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|was assassinated on November 22, 1963]], Ochs wept. He told his wife that he thought he was going to die that night. It was the only time she ever saw Ochs cry.<ref>Schumacher, p. 68.</ref><ref>Schumacher, pp. 68–69.</ref>

Ochs's managers during this part of his career were [[Albert Grossman]] (who also managed Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul, and Mary and Gordon Lightfoot) followed by [[Arthur Gorson]].<ref>Eliot (1989), p. 64, 94.</ref> Gorson had close ties with such groups as [[Americans For Democratic Action]], the [[Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee]], and [[Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)|Students for a Democratic Society]].<ref>Eliot (1989), pp. 66–67.</ref>

Ochs was writing songs at a fast pace. Some of the songs he wrote during this period were held back and recorded on his later albums.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 118, 149.</ref>

===California: 1967–1969===
In 1967, Ochs—now managed by his brother Michael—left [[Elektra Records]] for [[A&M Records]] and moved to Los Angeles, California.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 129–130, 134.</ref> He recorded four studio albums for A&M: ''[[Pleasures of the Harbor]]'' (1967), ''[[Tape from California]]'' (1968), ''[[Rehearsals for Retirement]]'' (1969), and the ironically titled ''[[Greatest Hits (Phil Ochs)|Greatest Hits]]'' (1970; which actually consisted of all new material).<ref>Cohen (1999), pp. 191–193.</ref> For his A&M albums, Ochs moved away from simply produced solo acoustic guitar performances and experimented with ensemble and even orchestral instrumentation, "baroque-folk",<ref>Brend, p. 106.</ref> in the hopes of producing a pop-folk hybrid that would be a [[Hit single|hit]].<ref>Eliot (1989), pp. 131–133.</ref>

Critic [[Robert Christgau]], writing in ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' of ''Pleasures of the Harbor'' in May 1968, did not consider this new direction a good turn. While describing Ochs as "unquestionably a nice guy", he went on to say, "too bad his voice shows an effective range of about half an octave [and] his guitar playing would not suffer much if his right hand were webbed." "''Pleasures of the Harbor''", Christgau continued, "epitomizes the decadence that has infected pop since ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Sgt. Pepper]]''. [The] gaudy musical settings ... inspire nostalgia for the three-chord strum."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-aow/column3.php |title=Dylan-Beatles-Stones-Donovan-Who, Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield, John Fred, California |access-date=January 24, 2009 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |date=May 1968 |work=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] }}</ref>

With an ironic sense of humor, Ochs included Christgau's "webbed hand" comment in his 1968 songbook ''The War is Over'' on a page titled "The Critics Raved", opposite a full-page picture of Ochs standing in a large metal garbage can.<ref>Ochs (1968), p. 44.</ref> Despite his sense of humor, Ochs was unhappy that his work was not receiving the critical acclaim and popular success he had hoped to achieve.<ref>Schumacher, p. 166.</ref> Still, Ochs would joke on the back cover of ''Greatest Hits'' that there were 50 Phil Ochs fans ("50 fans can't be wrong!"), a sarcastic reference to an Elvis Presley album that bragged of [[50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong|50&nbsp;million Elvis fans]].<ref>Schumacher, p. 226.</ref>

None of Ochs's songs became hits, although "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends" received a good deal of [[Airplay (radio)|airplay]]. It reached No. 119 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s national "Hot Prospect" listing before being pulled from some radio stations because of its lyrics, which included "smoking marijuana is more fun than drinking beer".<ref>Eliot (1989), pp. 136–137.</ref> It was the closest Ochs ever came to the Top 40. [[Joan Baez]], however, did have a Top Ten hit in the U.K. in August 1965, reaching No. 8 with her recording of Ochs's song "There but for Fortune",<ref>{{cite book |last=Warner |first=Jay |title=Notable Moments of Women in Music |year=2008 |publisher=Hal Leonard |location=Milwaukee, Wisc. |isbn=978-1-4234-2951-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/notablemomentsof0000warn/page/133 133] |url=https://archive.org/details/notablemomentsof0000warn/page/133 }}</ref><ref name=pc34>{{Pop Chronicles|34|3}}</ref> which was also nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] for "Best Folk Recording".<ref>{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Timothy Dean |title=Global Pop: World Music, World Markets |url=https://archive.org/details/globalpopworldmu00tayl |url-access=registration |year=1997 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York City|isbn=978-0-415-91872-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/globalpopworldmu00tayl/page/225 225] }}</ref> In the U.S. it peaked at No. 50 on the [[Billboard charts|''Billboard'' charts]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p1917|pure_url=yes}} |title=Billboard singles |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=February 3, 2009 }}</ref>—a good showing, but not a hit.<ref>Schumacher, p. 95.</ref>

Although he was trying new things musically, Ochs did not abandon his protest roots. He was profoundly concerned with the escalation of the Vietnam War, performing tirelessly at anti-war rallies across the country. In 1967, he organized two rallies to declare that "The War Is Over"—"Is everybody sick of this stinking war? In that case, friends, do what I and thousands of other Americans have done—declare the war over."<ref>{{cite news |first=Phil |last=Ochs |title=Have You Heard? The War is Over! |work=[[The Village Voice]] |date=November 23, 1967 }}; reprinted in Ochs (1968), p. 92; excerpted in Schumacher, p. 171.</ref>—one in Los Angeles in June, the other in New York in November.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 139–148, 170–173.</ref> He continued to write and record anti-war songs, such as "The War Is Over" and "White Boots Marching in a Yellow Land". Other topical songs of this period include "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends", inspired by the [[murder of Kitty Genovese]], who was stabbed to death outside of her New York City apartment building while dozens of her neighbors reportedly ignored her cries for help, and "William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed", about the despair he felt in the aftermath of the Chicago [[1968 Democratic National Convention]] [[police riot]].<ref>Schumacher, pp. 149, 208.</ref>

Ochs was writing more personal songs as well, such as "Crucifixion", in which he compared the deaths of Jesus Christ and assassinated President [[John F. Kennedy]] as part of a "cycle of sacrifice" in which people build up heroes and then celebrate their destruction; "Chords of Fame", a warning against the dangers and corruption of fame; "Pleasures of the Harbor", a lyrical portrait of a lonely sailor seeking human connection far from home; and "Boy in Ohio", a plaintive look back at Ochs's childhood in Columbus.<ref name="Eliot 1989, p. 193">Eliot (1989), p. 193.</ref><ref>Schumacher, pp. 110, 160, 214–215, 223–224.</ref>

A lifelong movie fan, Ochs worked the narratives of justice and rebellion that he had seen in films into his music, describing some of his songs as "cinematic".<ref>For example, in the spoken introduction to "Ringing of Revolution" on ''[[Phil Ochs in Concert]]''.</ref> He was disappointed and bitter when his onetime hero [[John Wayne]] embraced the [[Vietnam War]] with what Ochs saw as the blind patriotism of Wayne's 1968 film, ''[[The Green Berets (film)|The Green Berets]]'':

<blockquote>[H]ere we have John Wayne, who was a major artistic and psychological figure on the American scene, ... who at one point used to make movies of soldiers who had a certain validity, ... a certain sense of honor [about] what the soldier was doing. ... Even if it was a cavalry movie doing a historically dishonorable thing to the Indians, even as there was a feeling of what it meant to be a man, what it meant to have some sense of duty. ... Now today we have the same actor making his new war movie in a war so hopelessly corrupt that, without seeing the movie, I'm sure it is perfectly safe to say that it will be an almost {{Sic|?|hide=y|technically|-}}robot-view of soldiery, just by definition of how the whole country has deteriorated. And I think it would make a very interesting double feature to show a good old Wayne movie like, say, ''She Wore a Yellow Ribbon'' with ''The Green Berets''. Because that would make a very striking comment on what has happened to America in general.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Cunningham |first=Sis |author-link=Sis Cunningham |author2=Gordon Friesen  |year=1968 |title=Interview with Phil Ochs |journal=[[Broadside Magazine]] |issue=91 |author2-link=Gordon Friesen }}; quoted in Schumacher, p. 178.</ref></blockquote>

Ochs was involved in the creation of the [[Youth International Party]], known as the Yippies, along with [[Jerry Rubin]], [[Abbie Hoffman]], [[Stew Albert]], and [[Paul Krassner]].<ref>Eliot (1989), p. 140.</ref> At the same time, Ochs actively supported [[Eugene McCarthy]]'s more mainstream bid for the [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1968|1968 Democratic nomination for President]], a position at odds with the more radical Yippie point of view.<ref>Schumacher, p. 182–184.</ref><ref>Despite their disagreements, the Yippies used several Ochs songs in their media, in particular, the anti-war "I Ain't Marching Anymore". For example, see [http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/videodir/pacificaviet/yippie.ram this Yippie-produced documentary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528201004/http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/videodir/pacificaviet/yippie.ram |date=May 28, 2008 }}.</ref> Still, Ochs helped plan the Yippies' "[[1968 Democratic National Convention protest activity|Festival of Life]]" which was to take place at the 1968 Democratic National Convention along with demonstrations by other anti-war groups including the [[National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam]].<ref>Brend, pp. 106–107.</ref>

Despite warnings that there might be trouble, Ochs went to Chicago both as a guest of the McCarthy campaign and to participate in the demonstrations. He performed in [[Lincoln Park]], [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]], and at the [[Chicago Coliseum]], witnessed the violence perpetrated by the Chicago police against the protesters, and was arrested at one point.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 194–196.</ref><ref>See also the documentary film [https://vimeo.com/64409865 ''Conventions: The Land Around Us''] at [[Vimeo]]</ref> Ochs also purchased the young boar who became known as the Yippie 1968 Presidential candidate "[[Pigasus (politics)|Pigasus the Immortal]]" from a farm in Illinois.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wChZDwAAQBAJ&q=phil+ochs+bought+pigasus&pg=PT89 |title = Uncle John's Unsinkable Bathroom Reader|isbn = 9781607104605|last1 = Institute|first1 = Bathroom Readers'|date = October 2011| publisher=Simon and Schuster }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/222656-yippie-party-pigasus-the-immortal-1969-i |title = YIPPIE Party Pigasus the Immortal 1969 Inauguration Vietnam Pinback Button Lot |work=Collectors Weekly}}</ref>

[[File:REHEARSALS.jpg|thumb|right|The cover of Ochs's 1969 album, ''[[Rehearsals for Retirement]]'']]

The events of 1968{{snd}}the [[assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.]] and [[Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy|of Robert F. Kennedy]] weeks later, the [[1968 Democratic National Convention protest activity#August 28: The Battle for Michigan Avenue|Chicago police riot]], and the election of [[Richard Nixon]]{{snd}}left Ochs feeling disillusioned and depressed.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 201, 204.</ref> The cover of his 1969 album ''[[Rehearsals for Retirement]]'' portrayed a tombstone with the words:

<div style="text-align:center;">
PHIL OCHS<br/>(AMERICAN)<br/>BORN: EL PASO, TEXAS, 1940<br/>DIED: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 1968<ref>Schumacher, p. 211.</ref><!--don't change this, Chicago 1968 is correct, it is not his literal death, it is a reference to the events surrounding the 1968 Democratic Convention-->
</div>

At the trial of the [[Chicago Seven]] in December 1969, Ochs testified for the defense. His testimony included his recitation of the lyrics to his song "I Ain't Marching Anymore". On his way out of the courthouse, Ochs sang the song for the press corps; to Ochs's amusement, his singing was broadcast that evening by [[Walter Cronkite]] on the ''[[CBS Evening News]]''.<ref>Eliot (1989), pp. 175–188.</ref>

===''Greatest Hits'': 1970===
After the riot in Chicago and the subsequent trial, Ochs changed direction again. The events of 1968 convinced him that the average American was not listening to topical songs or responding to Yippie tactics. Ochs thought that by playing the sort of music that had moved him as a teenager he could speak more directly to the American public.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 222–223.</ref>

Ochs turned to his musical roots in country music and early rock and roll.<ref name=Schumacher224>Schumacher, p. 224.</ref> He decided he needed to be "part Elvis Presley and part [[Che Guevara]]",<ref>Schumacher, p. 227.</ref> so he commissioned a [[Lamé (fabric)|gold lamé]] suit from Elvis Presley's costumer [[Nudie Cohn]].<ref>Brend, p. 108.</ref> Ochs wore the gold suit on the cover of his 1970 album, ''[[Greatest Hits (Phil Ochs album)|Greatest Hits]]'', which consisted of new songs largely in rock and country styles.<ref name="Eliot 1989, p. 193"/><ref name=Schumacher224/>

Ochs went on tour wearing the gold suit, backed by a rock band, singing his own material along with medleys of songs by Buddy Holly, Elvis, and Merle Haggard. His fans did not know how to respond. This new Phil Ochs drew a hostile reaction from his audience. Ochs's March 27, 1970, concerts at [[Carnegie Hall]] were the most successful, and by the end of that night's second show, Ochs had won over many in the crowd.<ref name="wolf">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/WolfFiles/story?id=92624|title=The Sad End of the First Elvis Impersonator|last=Wolf|first=Buck|date=August 16, 2001|publisher=ABC News|access-date=October 31, 2015}}</ref> The show was recorded and released as ''[[Gunfight at Carnegie Hall]]''.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 227–233.</ref>

During this period, Ochs was taking drugs to get through performances. He had been taking [[Valium]] for years to help control his nerves, and he was also drinking heavily.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 216–217, 233.</ref> Pianist [[Lincoln Mayorga]] said of that period, "He was physically abusing himself very badly on that tour. He was drinking a lot of wine and taking uppers. The wine was pulling him one way and the uppers were pulling him another way, and he was kind of a mess. There were so many pharmaceuticals around – so many pills. I'd never seen anything like that."<ref>Schumacher, p. 233.</ref> Ochs tried to cut back on the pills, but alcohol remained his drug of choice for the rest of his life.<ref name=Eliot>Eliot (1989), pp. 207, 213, 236.</ref><ref name=Schumacher>Schumacher, pp. 260, 265, 275, 301–302, 310–311.</ref>

Depressed by his lack of widespread appreciation and suffering from [[writer's block]], Ochs did not record any further albums.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 226, 235, 255.</ref> He slipped deeper into depression and alcoholism.<ref name=Eliot/><ref name=Schumacher/> His personal problems notwithstanding, Ochs performed at the inaugural benefit for [[Greenpeace]] on October 16, 1970, at the [[Pacific Coliseum]] in Vancouver, [[British Columbia]]. A [[Amchitka (album)|recording of his performance]], along with performances by Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, was released by Greenpeace in 2009.

===Traveling: 1971–1975===
[[File:Phil Ochs rewrite of his song.jpg|thumb|Phil Ochs rewrite of his song "[[Here's to the State of Mississippi]]" into "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon". Typed at the apartment of [[Chip Berlet]] in 1974 prior to Ochs's performance of the song at Impeachment Ball. Copy sent to his brother Michael Ochs for registration. Original at [[Chicago History Museum]].]]

In August 1971, Ochs went to Chile, where [[Salvador Allende]], a [[Marxism|Marxist]], had been democratically elected in the [[1970 Chilean presidential election|1970 election]]. There he met Chilean folksinger [[Víctor Jara]], an Allende supporter, and the two became friends. In October, Ochs left Chile to visit [[Argentina]]. Later that month, after singing at a political rally in [[Uruguay]], he and his American traveling companion David Ifshin were arrested and detained overnight. When the two returned to Argentina, they were arrested as they left the airplane. After a brief stay in an Argentinian prison, Ochs and Ifshin were sent to [[Bolivia]] via a commercial airliner where authorities were to detain them.<ref name="auto">Schumacher, pp. 239–253.</ref>

Ifshin had previously been warned by Argentinian leftist friends that when the authorities sent dissidents to Bolivia, they would disappear forever. When the airliner arrived in Bolivia, the American captain of the [[Braniff International Airways]] aircraft allowed Ochs and Ifshin to stay on the aircraft and barred Bolivian authorities from entering. The aircraft then flew to [[Peru]] where the two disembarked and they were not detained. Fearful that Peruvian authorities might arrest him, Ochs returned to the United States a few days later.<ref name="auto"/>

Ochs was having difficulties writing new songs during this period, but he had occasional breakthroughs. He updated his sarcastic song "[[Here's to the State of Mississippi]]" as "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon", with cutting lines such as "the speeches of the Spiro are the ravings of a clown", a reference to Nixon's vitriolic vice president, [[Spiro Agnew]]—sung as "the speeches of the President are the ravings of a clown" after Agnew's resignation.<ref>Schumacher, p. 255.</ref><ref>Eliot, p. 216.</ref><ref>The "Spiro" lyrics can be heard in {{YouTube|Qxk0x5wuRH0|this clip}} from the 1971 "Free John Sinclair" rally. The "President" lyrics can be heard in the 1974 single release.</ref>

Ochs was personally invited by [[John Lennon]] to sing at a large benefit at the University of Michigan in December 1971 on behalf of [[John Sinclair (poet)|John Sinclair]], an activist poet who had been arrested on minor drug charges and given a severe sentence. Ochs performed at the [[John Sinclair Freedom Rally]] along with [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Allen Ginsberg]], [[David Peel (musician)|David Peel]], [[Abbie Hoffman]], and many others. The rally culminated with Lennon and [[Yoko Ono]], who were making their first public performance in the United States since the breakup of [[the Beatles]].<ref>Schumacher, pp. 256–259.</ref>

Although the 1968 election had left him deeply disillusioned, Ochs continued to work for the election campaigns of anti-war candidates, such as [[George McGovern]]'s unsuccessful [[1972 United States presidential election|Presidential bid in 1972]].<ref>Schumacher, pp. 262–263.</ref>

In 1972, Ochs was asked to write the theme song for the film ''[[Kansas City Bomber]]''. The task proved difficult, as he struggled to overcome his writer's block. Although [[Kansas City Bomber (song)|his song]] was not used in the soundtrack, it was released as a single.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 263–264, 269, 271.</ref>

[[File:Mackay296.jpg|thumb|Phil Ochs performing at Stables in [[East Lansing, Michigan]], May 1973]]

In mid-1972, Ochs traveled to Australia and New Zealand<ref>Schumacher, pp. 264–271.</ref> and then to Africa the following year, where he visited Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and South Africa. While visiting Tanzania one night, he was attacked and choked by robbers in [[Dar es Salaam]], which damaged his vocal cords, causing a loss of the top three notes in his vocal range.<ref>{{cite web|title=Phil Ochs Biography|url=http://www.sonnyochs.com/philbio.html | publisher=SonnyOchs.com| access-date=April 17, 2009}}</ref> The attack also exacerbated his growing mental problems, and he became increasingly paranoid. Ochs believed the attack may have been arranged by US government agents, perhaps the CIA. Still, he continued his trip, even recording a single in Kenya, "[[Bwatue]]".<ref>Schumacher, pp. 279–285.</ref>

On September 11, 1973, the Allende government of Chile was [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|overthrown in a ''coup d'état'']]. Allende committed suicide during the bombing of the presidential palace,<ref>{{cite news |title=Chile court confirms Salvador Allende committed suicide |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19567445 |publisher=BBC News |date=September 12, 2012}}</ref> and singer Victor Jara was rounded up with other professors and students, tortured and murdered.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Clyde |title=He Died Giving a Voice to Chile's Poor. A Quest for Justice Took Decades.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/18/us/victor-jara.html |work=The New York Times |date=November 18, 2018|access-date=September 14, 2023}}</ref> When Ochs heard about the manner in which his friend had been killed, he was outraged and decided to organize a benefit concert to bring to public attention the situation in Chile, and raise funds for the people of Chile. The concert, "An Evening with Salvador Allende", was held on May 9, 1974, at New York City's [[Felt Forum]], included films of Allende; singers such as [[Pete Seeger]], [[Arlo Guthrie]], [[Dave Van Ronk]], and Bob Dylan; and political activists such as former [[United States Attorney General|U.S. Attorney General]] [[Ramsey Clark]]. Dylan had agreed to perform at the last minute when he heard that the concert had sold so few tickets that it was in danger of being canceled. Once his participation was announced, the event quickly sold out.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 287–297.</ref>

After the Chile benefit, Ochs and Dylan discussed the possibility of a joint concert tour, playing small nightclubs. Nothing came of the Dylan-Ochs plans, but the idea eventually evolved into Dylan's [[Rolling Thunder Revue]].<ref>Schumacher, pp. 298–299.</ref>

The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975.<ref>{{cite book |last=Schomp |first=Virginia |title=The Vietnam War |year=2002 |publisher=Benchmark Books |location=Tarrytown, N.Y. |isbn=978-0-7614-1099-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/vietnamwar00scho/page/78 78] |url=https://archive.org/details/vietnamwar00scho |url-access=registration }}</ref> Ochs planned a final "War Is Over" rally, which was held in New York's [[Central Park]] on May 11. More than 100,000 people came to hear Ochs, joined by [[Harry Belafonte]], [[Odetta]], Pete Seeger, [[Paul Simon]] and others. Ochs and Joan Baez sang a duet of "There but for Fortune" and he closed with his song "[[The War Is Over (Phil Ochs song)|The War Is Over]]".<ref>Schumacher, pp. 304–306.</ref>

== Decline and death ==
Ochs' drinking became more and more of a problem, and his behavior became increasingly erratic. He frightened his friends both with his drunken rants about the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] and [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and about his claiming to want to have Elvis' manager [[Colonel Tom Parker]] or [[KFC|Kentucky Fried Chicken]]'s [[Colonel Sanders]] manage his career.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 310–311.</ref>

In mid-1975, Ochs took on the identity of John Butler Train. He told people that Train had murdered Ochs and that he, John Butler Train, had replaced him. Ochs was convinced that someone was trying to kill him, so he carried a weapon at all times: a hammer, a knife, or a lead pipe.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 312–318</ref>

His brother, Michael, attempted to have him committed to a [[psychiatric hospital]]. Friends pleaded with him to get help voluntarily. They feared for his safety because he was getting into fights with bar patrons. Unable to pay his rent, he began living on the streets.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 327–333.</ref>

After several months, the Train persona faded and Ochs returned, but his talk of suicide disturbed his friends and family. They hoped it was a passing phase, but Ochs was determined.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 339–341.</ref> One of his biographers explains Ochs' motivation:

{{Blockquote|By Phil's thinking, he had died a long time ago: he had died politically in Chicago in 1968 in the violence of the Democratic National Convention; he had died professionally in Africa a few years later when he had been strangled and felt that he could no longer sing; he had died spiritually when Chile had been overthrown and his friend Victor Jara had been brutally murdered; and, finally, he had died psychologically at the hands of John Train.<ref>Schumacher, p. 341.</ref>}}

On Christmas Eve 1975, Ochs visited the apartment of [[Larry Sloman]] and Dave Peller, which he had done semi-frequently near the end of 1975. On this particular evening, Peller recorded Ochs singing ten songs, five of them new and intended for an album that "would be an unflinching narrative of his psychosis over the past year"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Peller |first1=Dave |title=Phil Ochs' Last Recording |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzFQBASpfKk |website=YouTube|date=April 8, 2016 }}</ref> which went by the working title of ''Duels in the Sun''. Five other songs were also in some level of completion by this time. A second tape, possibly recorded before Christmas Eve, features additional songs intended for this project.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sloman |first1=Larry |title=Phil Ochs Last Recording - Tape II |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGLaxHfybQk |website=YouTube|date=December 24, 2023 }}</ref> This album would never come to fruition beyond these two recordings.

In January 1976, Ochs moved to Far Rockaway, New York, to live with his sister Sonny. He was lethargic; his only activities were watching television and [[card game|playing cards]] with his nephews. Ochs saw a psychiatrist, who diagnosed him with [[bipolar disorder]]. He was prescribed medication, and he told his sister he was taking it.<ref>After Ochs's death, his sister found he had been lying about taking his medication. Schumacher, p. 349.</ref> On April 9, 1976, Ochs died by suicide by [[Hanging#As suicide|hanging himself]] in Sonny's home.<ref>Schumacher, pp. 344–352.</ref>

Years after his death, it was revealed that the FBI had a file of nearly 500 pages on Ochs.<ref>Blair, p. 4.</ref> Much of the information in those files relates to his association with [[Counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture]] figures, protest organizers, musicians, and other people described by the FBI as "subversive".<ref name="Eliot301-308">Eliot (1989), pp. 301–308.</ref> The FBI was often sloppy in collecting information about Ochs: his name was frequently misspelled "Oakes" in their files, and they continued to consider him "potentially dangerous"<ref>Schumacher, p. 355.</ref> after his death.<ref name="Eliot301-308"/>

Congresswoman [[Bella Abzug]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] from New York), an outspoken anti-war activist who had appeared at the 1975 "War is Over" rally, entered this statement into the ''[[Congressional Record]]'' on April 29, 1976:

{{Blockquote|Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, a young folksinger whose music personified the protest mood of the 1960s took his own life. Phil Ochs – whose original compositions were compelling moral statements against the war in Southeast Asia – apparently felt that he had run out of words.

While his tragic action was undoubtedly motivated by terrible personal despair, his death is a political as well as an artistic tragedy. I believe it is indicative of the despair many of the activists of the 1960s are experiencing as they perceive a government that continues the distortion of national priorities that is exemplified in the military budget we have before us.

Phil Ochs's poetic pronouncements were part of a larger effort to galvanize his generation into taking action to prevent war, racism, and poverty. He left us a legacy of important songs that continue to be relevant in 1976—even though "the war is over".

Just one year ago—during this week of the anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War—Phil recruited entertainers to appear at the "War is Over" celebration in Central Park, at which I spoke.

It seems particularly appropriate that this week we should commemorate the contributions of this extraordinary young man.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Abzug |first=Bella |author-link=Bella Abzug |title=Death of Phil Ochs| date=April 29, 1976 |journal=[[Congressional Record]] |volume=122 |issue=10 }}, quoted in Schumacher, pp. 354–355.</ref>}}

Robert Christgau, who had been so critical of ''[[Pleasures of the Harbor]]'' and Ochs's guitar skills eight years earlier, wrote warmly of Ochs in his obituary in ''[[The Village Voice]]''. "I came around to liking Phil Ochs's music, guitar included," Christgau wrote. "My affection [for Ochs] no doubt prejudiced me, so it is worth [noting] that many observers who care more for folk music than I do remember both his compositions and his vibrato tenor as close to the peak of the genre."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/ochs-76.php |title=Phil Ochs 1940–1976 |access-date=January 28, 2009 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |date=April 19, 1976 |work=[[The Village Voice]] }}</ref>

===1976 memorial concert===
On May 28, 1976, at New York City's [[Felt Forum]], a memorial concert was held for Ochs. Spearheaded by Michael and Sonny Ochs, the over six hour concert consisted of performances of Ochs's best known material by many of his peers and influences, including [[Dave Van Ronk]], [[Pete Seeger]], [[Jim Glover]], [[Jim and Jean|Jean Ray]], [[Melanie (singer)|Melanie]], [[Bob Gibson (musician)|Bob Gibson]], and [[Peter Yarrow]], with spoken [[Ed Sanders]] written tributes delivered by [[Jerry Rubin]] and [[Ramsey Clark]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/28/archives/the-pop-life-friends-of-phil-ochs-sing-a-tribute-to-him-tonight-at.html | title=The Pop Life | work=The New York Times | date=May 28, 1976 }}</ref>

==Legacy==
Almost fifty years after his death, Ochs's songs remain relevant.<ref name="kornfeld">{{cite web|url=http://acousticmusicscene.com/2016/04/06/remembering-phil-ochs-on-the-40th-anniversary-of-his-death/|title=Remembering Phil Ochs on the 40th Anniversary of His Death|last=Kornfeld|first=Michael|date=April 6, 2016|publisher=AcousticMusicScene.com|access-date=April 14, 2016|quote=Many of [Ochs'] songs became anthems for the anti-war movement during the turbulent 1960s, and his music continues to influence and inspire songwriters today – 40 years after his death}}</ref> His work continues to influence singers and fans worldwide, most of whom never saw him perform live. There are mailing lists and online discussion groups dedicated to Ochs and his music;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~trent/ochs/maillist.html |title=Phil Ochs Mailing List|website=Web.csc.pdx.edu |access-date=January 28, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/phil-ochs/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709235255/http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/phil-ochs/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 9, 2012 |title=Phil Ochs Yahoo! Group|website=Launch.groups.yahoo.com |access-date=January 28, 2009 }}</ref> websites that have music samples, photographs, and other links;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://myspace.com/philochsmusic/ |title=Phil Ochs on MySpace|website=Myspace.com |access-date=March 18, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nomoresongs.com/ |title=No More Songs |website=Nomoresongs.org |access-date=January 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307043314/http://nomoresongs.com/ |archive-date=March 7, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and articles and books continue to be written and published about him.<ref>Examples include {{citation | last=Marlatt | first=Jayne Stewart | title=There but for Fortune: A Critical Analysis of the Protest Rhetoric of Phil Ochs | publisher=California State University, Sacramento | year=1985 }}, {{cite journal |last=Niemi |first=Robert |date=Winter 1993 |title=JFK as Jesus: The Politics of Myth in Phil Ochs' 'Crucifixion' |journal=Journal of American Culture |volume= 16|issue= 4|pages=35–40 |doi=10.1111/j.1542-734X.1993.00035.x }}, and {{cite journal |title=Tribute to Phil Ochs |journal=Big Bridge |volume=9 |url=http://www.bigbridge.org/issue9/ochstitlepage.htm |access-date=January 28, 2009 |archive-date=August 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821132958/http://www.bigbridge.org/issue9/ochstitlepage.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

His sister, Sonny Ochs (Tanzman), runs a series of "Phil Ochs Song Nights" with a rotating group of performers who keep Ochs's music and legacy alive by singing his songs in cities across the U.S.<ref name="POSN">{{cite web |url=http://www.sonnyochs.com/remembering.html |title=History of Phil Ochs Song Nights |access-date=October 5, 2010|last=Ochs |first=Sonny |publisher=SonnyOchs.com}}</ref> His brother Michael Ochs is a photographic archivist of [[20th-century music]] and entertainment personalities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://company.gettyimages.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=151&isource=corporate_website_ind_press_release |title=Getty Images Acquires the Michael Ochs Archives |access-date=January 28, 2009 |date=February 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711091018/http://company.gettyimages.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=151&isource=corporate_website_ind_press_release |archive-date=July 11, 2011  }}</ref> His daughter Meegan Lee Ochs worked with Michael to produce a box set of Ochs's music titled ''[[Farewells & Fantasies]]'', the title of which was taken from Ochs's sign-off on the "postcard" on the back of ''Tape from California'': "Farewells & Fantasies, Folks, P. Ochs".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://freepress.org/Backup/UnixBackup/pubhtml/culture/philochs.html |title=Phil Ochs: Pleasures of the Puzzle |access-date=January 28, 2009 |last=Cohen |first=David |date=December 4, 1997 |work=[[Columbus Free Press]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=[[Tape from California]] |others=Phil Ochs |year=1968 |last=Ochs |first=Phil |type=LP |publisher=A&M }}</ref> Meegan has a son named Caiden Finn Potter, Ochs's only grandchild.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://sonnyochs.com/photos.html |title=Photo page | last=Ochs | first=Sonny | publisher=SonnyOchs.com |access-date=April 23, 2009}}</ref> Alice Skinner Ochs was a photographer;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aliceochsphotography.com/ |title=Alice Ochs Photography |access-date=January 28, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215035529/http://aliceochsphotography.com/ |archive-date=December 15, 2008  }}</ref> she died in November 2010.<ref name="alice-obit">{{cite web| url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/marinij/obituary.aspx?n=alice-elizabeth-ochs&pid=146996915 | title=ALICE ELIZABETH OCHS Obituary|date=December 8, 2010|work=Marin Independent Journal|access-date=January 20, 2011}}</ref>

In February 2009, the [[North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance]] gave the 2009 Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Award to Ochs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tackett|first=Travis |url=http://www.bluegrassjournal.com/2008/10/24/folk-alliance-to-honor-old-town-school-of-folk-music-phil-ochs-guy-candie-carawan/ | title=Folk Alliance to honor Old Town School of Folk Music, Phil Ochs, Guy & Candie Carawan |date=October 24, 2008 |publisher=BluegrassJournal.com |access-date=March 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219132731/http://www.bluegrassjournal.com/2008/10/24/folk-alliance-to-honor-old-town-school-of-folk-music-phil-ochs-guy-candie-carawan/ |archive-date=February 19, 2012 }}</ref>

In September 2014, Meegan Lee Ochs announced that she was donating her father's archives to the [[Woody Guthrie Center]] in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://woodyguthriecenter.org/blog/news/|title=Woody Guthrie Center to house artist Phil Ochs' work|date=September 2014|publisher=Woody Guthrie Center|access-date=September 9, 2014|archive-date=September 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910200226/http://woodyguthriecenter.org/blog/news/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Included are many of his notebooks, journals, videotapes of his performances, the gold lamé suit, photographs, and other documents and memorabilia that Meegan had preserved since his death.<ref name="Guthriearchive">{{cite news| url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/phil-ochs-archives-go-to-woody-guthrie-center/|title=Phil Ochs Archives Go to Woody Guthrie Center|last=Kozinn| first=Allan|date=September 5, 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 9, 2014}}</ref>

===Covers and updates of Ochs songs===
{{Main|List of cover versions of Phil Ochs songs}}

Ochs's songs have been [[Cover version|covered]] by scores of performers, including [[Joan Baez]], [[Bastro]], [[Cher]], [[Judy Collins]], [[John Denver]],<ref name="POSN"/> [[Ani DiFranco]], [[Ronnie Gilbert]],<ref name="POSN"/> [[John Wesley Harding (singer)|John Wesley Harding]], [[Henry Cow]], [[Jason & the Scorchers]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.furious.com/perfect/jasonscorchers.html |title=Scorched Earth |last=Crandall |first=Alan |date=July 1998 |work=[[Perfect Sound Forever (magazine)|Perfect Sound Forever]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 }}</ref> [[Jim and Jean]], [[Jeannie Lewis]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/17165 |title=What Phil Ochs Heard |last=Healy |first=Barry |date=July 29, 1998 |work=[[Green Left Weekly]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 }}</ref> [[Gordon Lightfoot]],<ref name="POSN"/> [[Melanie (singer)|Melanie]], [[Christy Moore]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/oct/21/popandrock.shopping3 |title=Christy Moore, Burning Times |last=Denselow |first=Robin |author-link=Robin Denselow |date=October 20, 2005 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 }}</ref> [[Morrissey]], [[Pete Seeger]], [[They Might Be Giants]], [[Eddie Vedder]], and [[the Weakerthans]].<ref>Cohen (1999), pp. 273–294.</ref> [[Wyclef Jean]] performed "Here's to the State of Mississippi" in the 2009 documentary ''[[Soundtrack for a Revolution]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/29/AR2010042901451.html |title=Movie Review: 'Soundtrack for a Revolution' |last=Hornaday |first=Ann |date=April 30, 2010 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 }}</ref>

In 1998, Sliced Bread Records released ''[[What's That I Hear?: The Songs of Phil Ochs]]'', a two-CD set of twenty-eight Ochs songs by singers such as [[Billy Bragg]], [[John Gorka]], [[Nanci Griffith]], [[Arlo Guthrie]], [[Magpie (folk duo)|Magpie]], [[Tom Paxton]], and [[Peter Yarrow]].<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r347659|pure_url=yes}} |title=''What's That I Hear?: The Songs of Phil Ochs'' |access-date=April 9, 2016 |last=Eder |first=Bruce |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> The liner notes indicate that all record company profits from the sale of the set were to be divided between the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] Foundation of Southern California and ''[[Sing Out!]]'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite AV media |author=Phil Ochs |year=1998 |title=What's That I Hear?: The Songs of Phil Ochs |title-link=What's That I Hear?: The Songs of Phil Ochs |type=CD |publisher=Sliced Bread }}</ref>

Wood Records released an [[indie rock]]/[[experimental rock]] [[tribute album]] titled ''[[Poison Ochs: A Tribute to Phil Ochs]]'' in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indieville.com/reviews/poisonochs.htm |title=''Poison Ochs: A Tribute to Phil Ochs'' |access-date=April 8, 2016 |last=Shimmer |first=Matt |publisher=indieville.com }}</ref>

In 2005, [[Kind Of Like Spitting]] released an album, ''[[Learn: The Songs of Phil Ochs]]'', consisting of covers of nine songs written by Ochs, to pay tribute to his music and raise awareness of the artist, whom they felt had been overlooked.<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r790586|pure_url=yes}} |title=''Learn: The Songs of Phil Ochs'' |access-date=January 28, 2009 |website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=[[Learn: The Songs of Phil Ochs]] |others=[[Kind Of Like Spitting]] |year=2005 |last=J. |first=David |type=CD |publisher=Hush |id=HSH052 }}</ref><!--On his solo acoustic tour following 'Learn's' release, frontman Ben Barnett refused to sell Kind of Like Spitting T-Shirts, opting instead for black shirts with bold white letters spelling "OCHS". [I can't find any information about this]-->

[[Jello Biafra]] and [[Mojo Nixon]], on their album ''[[Prairie Home Invasion]]'', recorded a version of "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" with lyrics updated to the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] era.<ref>Cohen (1999), p. 274.</ref> Evan Greer, part of the Riot-Folk collective, later updated the song for the [[George W. Bush]] era.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.riotfolk.org/popup.php?p=lyrics&id=205 |title=Love Me, I'm a Liberal (2003) |access-date=March 18, 2015 |last=Greer |first=Evan |publisher=Riot-Folk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308000618/http://www.riotfolk.org/popup.php?p=lyrics&id=205 |archive-date=March 8, 2012 }}</ref> Ryan Harvey, also part of Riot-Folk, remade "Cops Of The World" with updated lyrics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.riotfolk.org/popup.php?p=lyrics&id=486 |title=Cops of the World |access-date=March 18, 2015 |last=Harvey |first=Ryan |publisher=Riot-Folk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106055435/http://www.riotfolk.org/popup.php?p=lyrics&id=486 |archive-date=January 6, 2012 }}</ref> [[The Clash]] used some of the lyrics to "United Fruit" in their song "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)", which appeared on their 1980 album ''[[Sandinista!]]''.<ref>Cohen (1999), p. 294.</ref> During their performance on ''[[VH1 Storytellers]]'', [[Pearl Jam]] covered "Here's to the State of Mississippi" with updated lyrics to include [[Jerry Falwell]], [[Dick Cheney]], [[John Roberts]], [[Alberto Gonzales]], and [[George W. Bush]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/58253/pearl-jam-tells-its-story-at-vh1-taping |title=Pearl Jam Tells Its 'Story' at VH1 Taping |date=June 2, 2006 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 }}</ref> In 2002, with the agreement of Ochs's sister Sonny, [[Richard Thompson (musician)|Richard Thompson]] added an extra verse to "I Ain't Marching Anymore" to reflect recent American foreign policy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2003/06/richard-thompson.html |title=Richard Thompson: Plunging the Knife in Deeper |access-date=April 10, 2016 |last=Winters |first=Pamela |date=June 9, 2003 |work=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] }}</ref> [[Jefferson Starship]] recorded "I Ain't Marching Anymore" with additional lyrics by band member [[Cathy Richardson]] for their 2008 release ''[[Jefferson's Tree of Liberty]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=42167 |title=New Jefferson Starship Album of Formative Folk Treasures: Jefferson's Tree of Liberty |publisher=Top40 Charts.com |date=August 8, 2008 |access-date=April 10, 2016 }}</ref>

[[Neil Young]] has cited Ochs as a major influence on his music. In a 1969 interview, Young said, "I really think Phil Ochs is a genius ... he's written fantastic, incredible songs – he's on the same level with [[Bob Dylan|Dylan]] in my eyes."<ref>{{cite book |last1=McDonough |first1=Jimmy |title=Shakey: Neil Young's Biography |date=2002 |publisher=Random House Canada |isbn=0-679-30940-3 |page=137 |edition=Hardback |url=https://archive.org/details/shakeyneilyoungs0000mcdo/page/n7/mode/2up?q=Ochs |access-date=October 12, 2022}}</ref> In 2013, Young performed "Changes" at [[Farm Aid]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5719533/farm-aid-2013-pete-seeger-sings-out-neil-young-speaks-up-and-jack-johnson-cows |title=Farm Aid 2013: Pete Seeger Sings Out, Neil Young Speaks Up and Jack Johnson Cows Around |first=Thom |last=Duffy |date=September 23, 2013 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{youTube|c9gyHnWegb4|Neil Young – Changes (Live at Farm Aid 2013)}}</ref> and included it in his 2014 tour set;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/arts/music/temperamental-neil-young-starts-run-at-carnegie-hall.html |title=Familiar Yet Distant, With Songs and an Edge |first=Nate |last=Chinen |date=January 8, 2014 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/neil-young-gave-his-heart-and-soul-thursday-and-some-folks-just-gave-him-a-hard-time.html/ |title=Neil Young gave his 'Heart' and 'Soul' Thursday, and some folks just gave him a hard time |last=Wilonsky |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Wilonsky |date=April 18, 2014 |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503013236/http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/neil-young-gave-his-heart-and-soul-thursday-and-some-folks-just-gave-him-a-hard-time.html/ |archive-date=May 3, 2016  }}</ref> it also is the lead track on ''[[A Letter Home]]'', his 2014 album of covers.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/neil-youngs-new-covers-album-available-right-now-surprise-20140418 |title=Neil Young's New Covers Album Available Right Now: Surprise! |last1=Greene |first1=Andy |date=April 18, 2014 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=April 10, 2016 |archive-date=March 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316115311/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/neil-youngs-new-covers-album-available-right-now-surprise-20140418 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2016, [[Richard Barone]] released his album ''Sorrows & Promises: Greenwich Village in the 1960s'', which includes "When I'm Gone".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://observer.com/2016/08/richard-barone-breathes-new-life-into-the-golden-age-of-village-folk/ |title=Richard Barone Breathes New Life Into the Golden Age of Village Folk |first=Peter |last=Gerstenzang |date=August 4, 2016 |work=[[New York Observer]] |access-date=July 4, 2018 }}</ref> Barone said of the project: "My favorite artist on the album is Phil Ochs. I grew up with Phil Ochs songs. I love his topical songs–and I also like his songs that are not political. He was always really good no matter what he was doing."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unionvilletimes.com/?p=35455 |title=Barone Dives Into the Soul of 60's Village Artists |first=Denny |last=Dyroff |date=June 17, 2017 |work=The Unionville Times |access-date=July 4, 2018 }}</ref> On tour, Barone also performed "Changes".<ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Barone Concert Setlist at Mexicali Live, Teaneck on July 13, 2017 |url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/richard-barone/2017/mexicali-live-teaneck-nj-33e454b5.html |website=setlist.fm |access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref>

In 2020, Welsh singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph released ''Days of Decision: A Tribute to Phil Ochs'' containing 14 Ochs covers, as well as liner notes by Ochs' sister, Sonny.<ref name="martyn">{{cite news |last1=Ainscoe |first1=Mike |title=Martyn Joseph – Days Of Decision, A Tribute To Phil Ochs: Album Review |url=https://atthebarrier.com/2020/01/16/martyn-joseph-days-of-decision-album-review/ |access-date=19 November 2022 |work=At The Barrier |date=16 January 2020}}</ref>

In 2024 [[The Men They Couldn't Hang|Phil Odgers]] and [[Merry Hell|John Kettle]] released an album of 11 Ochs covers called "Far Rockaway".

===Tributes===
On learning of Ochs' death, Tom Paxton wrote a song titled "Phil", which he recorded for his 1978 album ''Heroes''.<ref name=Cohen296>Cohen (1999), p. 296.</ref> Ochs is also the subject of "I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night", by Billy Bragg, from his 1990 album ''[[The Internationale (album)|The Internationale]]'', which was based on the [[Alfred Hayes (writer)|Alfred Hayes]]/[[Earl Robinson]] song "[[I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night|Joe Hill]]" which Ochs helped popularize.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Billy Bragg - The Internationale Album Reviews, Songs & More  |website=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-internationale-mw0001958374 |access-date=2023-06-03 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bragg |first=Billy |author-link=Billy Bragg |title=I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night |url=http://www.billybragg.co.uk/music/album.php?albumID=21&songID=178 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204212436/http://billybragg.co.uk/music/album.php?albumID=21&songID=178 |archive-date=December 4, 2011 |access-date=January 20, 2012 |publisher=BillyBragg.co.uk}}</ref> Ochs also had his own, different song ("Joe Hill") about the early 20th-century union activist/songwriter. "Thin Wild Mercury," by Peter Cooper and [[Todd Snider]], is about Ochs's infamous clash with Dylan and getting thrown out of Dylan's limo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.petercoopermusic.com/track/203843/thin-wild-mercury?feature_id=39256&trackship_id=319919 |title=Thin Wild Mercury |access-date=March 18, 2015 |last=Cooper |first=Peter |author2=Todd Snider |publisher=Peter Cooper – The Official Site |author2-link=Todd Snider }}</ref>

Ochs is mentioned in the [[Dar Williams]] song "All My Heroes Are Dead", the [[Will Oldham]] song "Gezundheit", the [[Chumbawamba]] song "Love Me", and the They Might Be Giants song "The Day".<ref name="Cohen295-297">Cohen (1999), pp. 295–297.</ref> The [[Josh Joplin Group]] recorded a tribute to Ochs on their album ''Useful Music''.<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r415306|pure_url=yes}} |title=''Useful Music'' |last=Swihart |first=Stanton |access-date=February 1, 2009  |publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> [[Schooner Fare]] recorded "Don't Stop To Rest (Song for Phil Ochs)" on their 1981 album ''Closer to the Wind''.<ref name=Cohen296/> [[Latin Quarter (band)|Latin Quarter]] memorialized him in the song "Phil Ochs" on their album ''Long Pig'' (1993).<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r220274|pure_url=yes}} |title=''Long Pig'' |last=Schnee |first=Stephen SPAZ |access-date=February 1, 2009 |publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

John Wesley Harding recorded a song titled "Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Steve Goodman, David Blue and Me", the title a reference to the Ochs song "Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Me".<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r8949|pure_url=yes}} |title=''It Happened One Night'' |last=Woodstra |first=Chris |access-date=February 1, 2009 |website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref> Singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith wrote a song about Phil entitled "Radio Fragile", included in her album ''[[Storms (Nanci Griffith album)|Storms]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://popdose.com/the-popdose-guide-to-nanci-griffith/|title=The Popdose Guide to Nanci Griffith|date=January 8, 2008|publisher=Popdose|access-date=April 9, 2018}}</ref> English folk/punk songwriter Al Baker recorded a song about Ochs entitled "All The News That's Fit To Sing", a reference to the title of Ochs's first album.<ref name="Cohen295-297"/> Cajun musician Vic Sadot wrote a song about Ochs entitled "Broadside Balladeer".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vicsadot.com/2011/09/23/broadside-balladeer/ |title=Broadside Balladeer |access-date=April 4, 2012 |publisher=Vic Sadot Music |date=September 23, 2011 |archive-date=May 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524045400/http://vicsadot.com/2011/09/23/broadside-balladeer/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Singer-songwriter [[Jen Cass]]'s "Standing In Your Memory", and [[Harry Chapin]]'s "The Parade's Still Passing By" are tributes to Ochs. [[Leslie Fish]] recorded "Chickasaw Mountain", which is dedicated to Ochs, on her 1986 album of that name.<ref name="Cohen295-297"/>

The punk band [[Squirrel Bait]] cited Ochs as a major creative influence in the liner notes of their 1986 album ''Skag Heaven'', and cover his "Tape From California".<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r18799|pure_url=yes}} |title=''Skag Heaven'' |last=Cook |first=Stephen |access-date=February 1, 2009  |website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref> The American hardcore punk supergroup [[Hesitation Wounds]] wrote a song called "P. Ochs (The Death of a Rebel)", which appeared on their self-titled debut EP in 2013.<ref>Hesitation Wounds, "P. Ochs (The Death of a Rebel)." Retrieved August 17, 2022. https://secretvoice.bandcamp.com/album/hesitation-wounds</ref> The song's lyrics reference the folk singer's life and suicide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hear a New Song from Hardcore Supergroup, Hesitation Wounds |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/hesitation-wounds-new-abuse/ |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=Vice.com |date=March 23, 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Ochs has also influenced Greek folk-rock songwriters; Dimitris Panagopoulos' ''Astathis Isoropia'' (''Unstable Equilibrium'') (1987) was dedicated to his memory.<ref name=Cohen296/> On the 2005 Kind Of Like Spitting album ''In the Red'', songwriter Ben Barnett included his song "Sheriff Ochs", which was inspired by reading a biography of Ochs.<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r804778|pure_url=yes}} |title=''In the Red'' |access-date=February 1, 2009  |website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref> On April 9, 2009, Ochs' friend [[Jim Glover]] performed a tribute to Ochs at Mother's Musical Bakery in [[Sarasota, Florida]].<ref>{{cite web |title=A Tribute to Phil Ochs |url=http://www.mothersmusicalbakery.com/EventDescription.html |publisher=Mother's Musical Bakery |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527235629/http://www.mothersmusicalbakery.com/EventDescription.html |archive-date=May 27, 2010  }}</ref>

===Popular culture===
Among Ochs's many admirers were the short story writer [[Breece D'J Pancake]]<ref>{{cite book |title=The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake |first=James Alan |last=McPherson |editor=Breece D'J Pancake |publisher=Back Bay |location=Boston |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-316-71597-3 |page=12 |chapter=Foreword }}</ref> and actor [[Sean Penn]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=A Toast to Those Who Are Gone |title-link=A Toast to Those Who Are Gone |others=Phil Ochs |year=1986 |first=Sean |last=Penn |type=CD |publisher=Rhino }}</ref> Meegan Lee Ochs, who worked as Sean Penn's personal assistant from 1983 to 1985,<ref name="PennBio">{{cite book |last=Kelly |first=Richard T. |title=Sean Penn: His Life and Times |publisher=Canongate U.S. |location=New York |year=2006 |page=xvii |isbn=978-1-84195-739-5 }}</ref> wrote in her foreword to ''Farewells & Fantasies'' that she and Penn discussed "over many years" the possibility of making a movie about her father;<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Farewells & Fantasies |title-link=Farewells & Fantasies |others=Phil Ochs |year=1997 |chapter=Foreword |first=Meegan Lee |last=Ochs |page=3 |type=CD |publisher=Elektra |id=R2 73518 }}</ref> the plan has not yet come to fruition, although Penn expressed an interest in the project as recently as February 2009.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/sean-penn-the-story-behind-the-story-20090206 |title=Sean Penn: The Story Behind the Story |access-date=April 4, 2012 |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=February 6, 2009 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-date=November 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116000652/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/sean-penn-the-story-behind-the-story-20090206 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Singer [[Harry Chapin]]'s song "The Parade's Still Passing By" from his 1976 album ''[[On the Road to Kingdom Come]]'' is dedicated to Ochs and is a response to his dissatisfaction with his lack of chart success and suicide.

Author [[Jim Carroll]]'s autobiography, ''[[The Basketball Diaries (book)|The Basketball Diaries]]'' (1978), was dedicated in memory of Phil Ochs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carroll |first1=Jim |author-link=Jim Carroll |title=The Basketball Diaries |year=1978 |publisher=Penguin Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-14-024999-6 |title-link=The Basketball Diaries (book) }}</ref>

Ochs is mentioned in the song "The Day" from the 1986 self-titled ''[[They Might Be Giants (album)|They Might Be Giants]]'' album.

On the cover of [[the Go-Betweens]]' ''The Lost Album'' (1999), [[Grant McLennan]] wore a shirt with the words "Get outta the car, Ochs", a reference to the limousine incident involving Ochs and Dylan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citypages.com/1999-06-09/music/entre-nous/ |title=Entre Nous |access-date=January 26, 2009 |last=Dolan |first=Jon |date=June 9, 1999 |work=[[City Pages]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412020103/http://www.citypages.com/1999-06-09/music/entre-nous |archive-date=April 12, 2009  }}</ref>

The 1994 film ''[[Spanking the Monkey]]'' makes reference to Ochs and his suicide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailynebraskan.com/woosters-stories-offer-cure-for-all-things-depressing/article_eb70f5cc-422a-5fd5-bd3e-67714814c9bf.html |title=Woosters Stories Offer Cure for All Things Depressing |access-date=March 18, 2015 |last=Lane |first=Zack |date=June 20, 2002 |work=[[Daily Nebraskan]] }}</ref>

Ochs is mentioned in the [[Stephen King]] novels ''[[The Tommyknockers]]'' (1987)<ref>{{cite book |title=The Tommyknockers |first=Stephen |last=King |publisher=Signet |location=New York |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-451-15660-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/tommyknockers00king/page/80 80] |url=https://archive.org/details/tommyknockers00king/page/80 }}</ref> and ''[[Hearts in Atlantis]]'' (1999).<ref>{{cite book |title=Hearts in Atlantis |first=Stephen |last=King |publisher=Pocket Books |year=2001 |location=New York |isbn=978-0-671-02424-6 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/heartsinatlantis00king_1/page/397 397–398, 401, 405, 407, 460, 511, 514, 516] |url=https://archive.org/details/heartsinatlantis00king_1/page/397 }}</ref>

In the 2019 novel ''Revolutionaries'' by [[Joshua Furst]], based on the life of [[Abbie Hoffman]], Ochs appears as a character under his own name.<ref>{{cite book |title=Revolutionaries |first=Joshua |last=Furst | publisher=[[Penguin Random House]] |year=2019|location= New York}} {{ISBN|9780307271143}}</ref>

Ochs is mentioned in [[David Bowie]]'s 2013 song "(You Will) Set the World on Fire" on ''[[The Next Day]]'' album.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/david-bowie-tribute-to-bob-dylan-final-masterpieces/ | title=David Bowie's tribute to Bob Dylan on one of his final songs|website=Faroutmagazine.co.uk | date=February 3, 2022 }}</ref>

===Films===
Michael Korolenko directed the 1984 biographical film ''[[Chords of Fame (film)|Chords of Fame]]'', which featured Bill Burnett as Ochs. The film included interviews with people who had known Ochs, including Yippies Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, manager Harold Leventhal, and Mike Porco, the owner of [[Gerde's Folk City]]. ''Chords of Fame'' also included performances of Ochs songs by folk musicians who knew him, including Bob Gibson, Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Dave Van Ronk, and Eric Andersen.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B00E5DE133BF935A25751C0A962948260 |title=Film: Phil Ochs, A Short Biography |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |date=February 16, 1984 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=May 17, 2010 }}</ref>

Filmmaker Ken Bowser directed the documentary film ''[[Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune]]'', which premiered at the 2010 [[Woodstock Film Festival]] in [[Woodstock, New York]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://philochsthemovie.com/ |title= Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune |access-date=May 17, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/movies/26ochs.html |title=Tracing the Arc of a Tragic Folk Singer |last=Baker |first=Bob |date=December 26, 2010 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=December 26, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmthreat.com/festivals/25287/ |title=2010 Woodstock Film Festival Announces Lineup |last=Bell |first=Mark |date=September 1, 2010 |work=[[Film Threat]] |access-date=September 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904072219/http://www.filmthreat.com/festivals/25287/ |archive-date=September 4, 2010  }}</ref> Its theatrical run began on January 5, 2011, at the IFC Theater in Greenwich Village, New York City, opening in cities around the US and Canada thereafter.<ref name="FirstRun">{{cite web|url=http://firstrunfeatures.com/philochs_playdates.html|title=First Run Features: PHIL OCHS|publisher=First Run Features|access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref> The film features extensive archival footage of Ochs and many pivotal events from the 1960s [[civil rights]] and [[peace movement]]s, as well as interviews with friends, family and colleagues who knew Ochs through music and politics.<ref name="HRReview">{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/phil-ochs-fortune-film-review-67588|title=Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune – Film Review|last=Rooney |first=David |date=January 2, 2011|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref><ref name="EW-rev">{{cite magazine|url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/12/10/phil-ochs-there-but-for-fortune/|title='Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune,' a great documentary about an underappreciated folk singer |last=Vozick-Levinson|first=Simon|date=December 10, 2010|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref> The [[PBS]] ''[[American Masters]]'' series opened its 2012 season with an edited version of the film.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsburger/53162293-53/ochs-american-calloway-masters.html.csp|title="American Masters" to feature Phil Ochs and Cab Calloway in 2012|last=Burger|first=David|date=December 21, 2011|work=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|access-date=January 20, 2012}}</ref><ref name="pbs film">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/phil-ochs-there-but-for-fortune/watch-the-full-documentary/1962/|title=Phil Ochs: But There For Fortune – Watch the Full Documentary|date=January 24, 2012|publisher=[[PBS]]|access-date=July 19, 2013}}</ref>

Experimental filmmaker [[Phil Solomon (filmmaker)|Phil Solomon]] named his 2007 experimental film ''Rehearsals for Retirement'' after Ochs' 1969 song of the same name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://academichack.net/solomon.htm|title = Phil Solomon Visits San Andreas and Escapes, Not Unscathed|website=Academichack.net}}</ref>

In the 2011 film ''The Chicago 8'' the role of Phil Ochs was played by the actor Steven Schub (lead singer of The Fenwicks and HaSkaLA.)<ref>{{cite web |title=The Chicago 8 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1511476/ |publisher=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>

==Professional affiliations==
* Ochs was a member of the [[American Federation of Television and Radio Artists]], which is affiliated with the [[AFL–CIO]].<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |author=Phil Ochs |year=1997 |title=Farewells & Fantasies |title-link=Farewells & Fantasies |page=35 |type=CD |publisher=Elektra |id=R2 73518}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aftra.com/aftra/whatis.htm |title=What Is AFTRA? |access-date=February 4, 2009 |publisher=American Federation of Television and Radio Artists |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528043944/http://www.aftra.com/aftra/whatis.htm |archive-date=May 28, 2007}}</ref>
* The music publishing company Ochs formed with Arthur Gorson, Barricade Music, was an [[ASCAP]] company.<ref>Ochs (1978), ''passim''.</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Phil Ochs discography|list of songs recorded by Phil Ochs}}

===Studio albums and live recordings===
{{Div col}}
* ''[[All the News That's Fit to Sing]]'' ([[Elektra Records|Elektra]], 1964)
* ''[[I Ain't Marching Anymore]]'' (Elektra, 1965)
* ''[[Phil Ochs in Concert]]'' (Elektra, 1966)
* ''[[Pleasures of the Harbor]]'' ([[A&M Records|A&M]], 1967)
* ''[[Tape from California]]'' (A&M, 1968)
* ''[[Rehearsals for Retirement]]'' (A&M, 1969)
* ''[[Greatest Hits (Phil Ochs album)|Greatest Hits]]'' (A&M, 1970)
* ''[[Gunfight at Carnegie Hall]]'' (A&M Canada, 1974)
* ''[[There and Now: Live in Vancouver 1968]]'' (Rhino, 1991)
* ''[[Live at Newport (Phil Ochs album)|Live at Newport]]'' (Vanguard, 1996)
* ''[[Amchitka (album)|Amchitka]]'' (Greenpeace, 2009)
* ''On My Way (1963 Demo Session)'' (MicroWerks, 2010)
* ''Live Again!'' (RockBeat, 2014)
* ''Live in Montreal 10/22/66'' (Rockbeat, 2017){{Div col end}}

== See also ==
* [[Counterculture of the 1960s]]
* [[List of anti-war songs]]
* [[List of peace activists]]
* [[Robyn Ochs]], his niece and a bisexual activist

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== General and cited bibliography ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Blair |first=Eric |year=2007 |title=Folk Singer for the FBI: The Phil Ochs FBI File |location=Morrisville, North Carolina |publisher=Lulu Press }}
* {{Cite book |last=Brend |first=Mark |year=2001 |title=American Troubadours: Groundbreaking Singer-Songwriters of the 60s |location=San Francisco |publisher=Backbeat Books |isbn=978-0-87930-641-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/americantroubado00bren |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cohen |first=David |year=1999 |title=Phil Ochs: A Bio-Bibliography |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=978-0-313-31029-4 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Eliot |first=Marc |year=1979 |title=Death of a Rebel: Starring Phil Ochs and a Small Circle of Friends |url=https://archive.org/details/deathofrebel00elio |url-access=registration |location=Garden City, N.Y. |publisher=Anchor Press |isbn=978-0-385-13610-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Eliot |first=Marc |year=1989 |orig-year=1979 |title=Death of a Rebel: A Biography of Phil Ochs |location=New York |publisher=Franklin Watts |isbn=978-0-531-15111-2 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Ochs |first=Phil |year=1964 |title=Songs of Phil Ochs |location=New York |publisher=Appleseed Music |oclc=41480512 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Ochs |first=Phil |year=1968 |title=The War Is Over |location=New Yor |publisher=Collier Booksk |oclc=1384159 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Ochs |first=Phil |year=1978 |title=The Complete Phil Ochs |location=Hollywood, Calif. |publisher=Almo Publications |isbn=978-0-89705-010-4 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Schumacher |first=Michael |year=2018 |orig-year=1996 |title=There But for Fortune: The Life of Phil Ochs |location=New York; Minneapolis |publisher=Hyperion/Univ of Minnesota Press |isbn=978-1-5179-0354-1 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Stanton |first=Scott |year=2003 |title=The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians |location=New York |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-7434-6330-0 }}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Mitchell |author-link=Mitchell Cohen |date=c. 2017 |title=Who Is ... Phil Ochs, Really? |url=https://web.musicaficionado.com/main.html#!/article/who_is_phil_ochs_really_by_mitchellcohen |publisher=Music Aficionado }}
* {{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=J.J. |author-link=J.J. Goldberg |date=April 10, 2016 |title=Remembering Phil Ochs, the Other Great Jewish Folksinger of the '60s |url=http://forward.com/opinion/338253/remembering-phil-ochs-the-other-great-jewish-folksinger-of-the-60s/ |work=[[The Forward]] }}
* {{Cite book |last=Möhle |first=Christine |year=2017 |title=Trials and Tragedies: Phil Ochs and His Rehearsals for Retirement |location=Hamburg |publisher=Tredition |isbn=978-3-7439-3963-9 }}
* {{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ryan |date=August 25, 2018 |title=How the 1968 DNC Protests in Chicago 'Killed' Protest Folk Singer Phil Ochs |url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2018/08/25/how-the-1968-dnc-protests-in-chicago-killed-protest-folk-singer-phil-ochs |work=[[Chicago Reader]] }}
* {{Cite web |last=Sommer |first=Tim |author-link=Tim Sommer |date=August 27, 2015 |title=Phil Ochs Wrote 5 of the Best Concept Albums Ever in 3 Years |url=http://observer.com/2015/08/phil-ochs-wrote-5-of-the-best-concept-albums-ever-in-3-years/ |work=[[New York Observer]] }}
* {{Cite web |title=Folk Singer Ochs' Songs Live On |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rnxOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XUsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4897%2C651863 |work=Victoria Advocate |date=August 3, 1997 |agency=Associated Press}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080510150402/http://www.cosmicbaseball.com/ochs8.html Phil Ochs Page]—Cosmic Baseball Association, March 9, 1998

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://woodyguthriecenter.org/archives/collection/the-phil-ochs-papers/ The Phil Ochs Papers] at the [[Woody Guthrie Center]]
* [http://www.cs.pdx.edu/~trent/ochs Phil Ochs web pages] includes lyrics, discography, images, &c.
* [http://www.celebratingphilochs.com/ Celebrating Phil Ochs] includes lyrics, chords, personal recollections, and much more 
* [http://famous-trials.com/chicago8/1331-ochsl Excerpts from the Testimony of Phil Ochs at the Chicago Eight Trial]
* Vic Sadot, [http://www.last.fm/user/broadsideballad/journal/2009/08/07/2x74fo_phil_ochs_fbi_file Phil Ochs' FBI File], ''[[Broadside Magazine]]''
* [http://www.democracynow.org/2011/1/6/phil_ochs_the_life_and_legacy Phil Ochs: The Life and Legacy of a Legendary American Folk Singer] – video report by ''[[Democracy Now!]]''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180215083635/http://www.cultureshocks.com/shows/2011/03/23/sonny-ochs/ Sonny Ochs], interviewed about Phil Ochs, Culture Shocks with [[Barry W. Lynn|Barry Lynn]], March 23, 2011.
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p2096|label=Phil Ochs}}
* {{IMDb name|643794}}
* Phil Ochs Memorial Celebration (Philadelphia, May 31, 1977) [https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/sfc/id/68608/rec/1 (video part 1)]; [https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/sfc/id/68607/rec/1 (video part 2)]

{{Phil Ochs|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Chicago Seven}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ochs, Phil}}
[[Category:Phil Ochs| ]]
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:1976 suicides]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:A&M Records artists]]
[[Category:American acoustic guitarists]]
[[Category:American anti–Vietnam War activists]]
[[Category:American civil rights activists]]
[[Category:American folk guitarists]]
[[Category:American folk singers]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American pacifists]]
[[Category:American people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:American socialists]]
[[Category:Counterculture of the 1960s]]
[[Category:Elektra Records artists]]
[[Category:Folkways Records artists]]
[[Category:Jewish American songwriters]]
[[Category:Jewish folk singers]]
[[Category:Jewish pacifists]]
[[Category:Jewish socialists]]
[[Category:Ohio State University alumni]]
[[Category:Musicians from El Paso, Texas]]
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[[Category:Musicians from Manhattan]]
[[Category:People from Greenwich Village]]
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[[Category:People with bipolar disorder]]
[[Category:American political music artists]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas]]
[[Category:Staunton Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Suicides by hanging in New York City]]
[[Category:Vanguard Records artists]]
[[Category:Yippies]]