August 12th, 2008
Clabe Hangan 1934-2008
On Saturday August 9th we lost a voice that was filled with love and hope, strength and laughter. Clabe, I hope you have internet access, because we love and miss you.
Clabe Hangan – Singing from our hearts
74 years of sharing smiles and laughter.
Folk music is both plain and at the same time, amazing. Its delivery is often simple and direct yet it reaches deep into our lives and connects us in more ways than we know. I met Clabe through my church youth group in Riverside sometime in the late 1960s – our youth minister, Dan Faucier must have been the one who brought us together. I always remembered his take on Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind – that the answer, rather, “was in the hearts of men.” This memory was brought back to me as I listened to Laurie Lewis in a crowded hall in Lyons, Colorado last night. She didn’t mention Clabe but her song about Val’s Cabin reminded me of a family camping trip on the Stanislaus River and growing up in rural southern California… her songs and her presence reminded me of the little I saw of the California folk scene and – back to Clabe! So I went to the internet and found his obituary. I wish my father was still around to share these fond memories with. Here’s to a wonderful man who touched so many people’s hearts! David Cook