Oil and Water: Ships that Go Down and Ships that Come In
To listen to Lee Murdock’s music is to visualize the long heavily laden deck of an iron ore freighter sailing alongside the only floating Post Office in the USA, to glimpse a gang of schooners being towed stem-to-stern up Lake St Clair, to chill to the tale of a ghost ship, to thrill to song of a heroic surfman’s rescue, to soar above the landing deck of the WWII aircraft carrier Wolverine, to sail with the first ship through the Soo Locks at the opening of the season, to witness the wonder and beauty of Lake Superior’s legendary optical illusions, all this and more. A noted Great Lakes historian and musician, Lee Murdock’s songs and stories create an unforgettable image of commerce and recreation as they exist on the Great Lakes, with huge cargo ships from all over the world traversing vital shipping lanes, while pleasure craft of all types and sizes share the waters along North America’s fourth coast.
Since 1979, Lee Murdock has been a full time touring historian, scholar, and musician. He has released 16 CDs and performs between 125 -200 shows a year. His interests include Great Lakes maritime history, regional history of Illinois and the Midwest, and traditional music of America, Canada, and the British Isles.
Watch video of Lee Murdock performing at the 2008 Fox Valley Folk Festival.
