Another man done gone. Izzy Young.

February 5, 2019 2:08 PM

Izzy Young passed away today in Stockholm. Almost 91 years young -- Talking folklore center. Only last week at our MeFi meet-up in Stockholm Old Town, we were talking about the legendary Izzy. Now he has gone and my FB feeds are overflowing. Swedish national newspaper Svenska Dagbladet writes. Only one previous posting. In Stockholm he was a legend, an institution even. The story of how he arranged Bob Dylans first performance in New York has been recycled regularly for years. His Folklore Center here has been putting concerts, on and off, for decades.

Years ago, his mother visited him here in Sweden. 70’s probably - I remember that Izzy served us drinks of some sort. He had no ice - so he whacked the freezer unit in his minimal fridge and obtained lumps of historical frozen substance, which as they thawed released large particles of previously meals into our refreshments. His mother greeted me, a hairy streetsinger, in words with a srong Polish accent, ’ Are you rich, Jan?’

posted by jan murray (8 comments total)

NY Times obit
posted by jan murray at 2:12 PM on February 5, 2019

RIP
posted by jan murray at 2:13 PM on February 5, 2019

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posted by Kattullus at 2:52 PM on February 5, 2019

I remember Israel G. Young. I haven't thought about him in decades.
posted by Obscure Reference at 3:09 PM on February 5, 2019

my deepest sympathies, jan.
posted by terrapin at 3:19 PM on February 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

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posted by Mister Bijou at 6:02 PM on February 5, 2019

So sad! He was working until the end: the shop was open until the end of last year.

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posted by St. Oops at 9:17 PM on February 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

I met him once in about 1981, on a trip to Stockholm to play some folk gigs. He got a phone call while I was at the folklore center, and I recall that even though I speak no Swedish I could hear the thick New York accent when he spoke it to the caller.

Shame he's gone.

wg
posted by wendyg at 2:12 PM on February 6, 2019 [1 favorite]