John Henry's Hammer Open Mic

John Henry's Hammer Open Mic Open Mic held the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month, at the First Unitarian Church
90 Main Street, Worcester, MA

07/13/2026

I took Bob Dylan’s masterpiece Masters of War, and updated it. I’m ...

Following is a Facebook post made by Deb Barron Northway about the sad passing of our friend John Henry. John had been a...
07/12/2026

Following is a Facebook post made by Deb Barron Northway about the sad passing of our friend John Henry. John had been an active member in the 1960’s of the folk music community and always humbly claimed that the Coffeehouse was not named for him but it always seemed that he was the namesake of this venerable club that has continued for many years and continues now as an Open Mic. He remained active in the local folk community until poor health intervened. He will be missed by the many friends who knew and loved him for these many years.

“I’m sad to share the news that my dear friend of many years, John Henry, passed away Friday afternoon. He had been ill for a long time, but his passing was thankfully pain free and peaceful.

John was a wonderful singer/songwriter and interpreter of folk and ragtime music, and a longtime presence in the Worcester folk scene, starting in the early days of the YNot Coffeehouse, then with the inception of John Henry’s Hammer Coffeehouse. He was also a longtime DJ at both WICN and WCUW radio stations. In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, John hosted the Worcester Country Traditions House Concert series in his Victorian home on Vernon Hill, where notable folk artists could be enjoyed in a warm, intimate setting.

On a personal note, my friendship with John lasted through more than 50 years of life’s transitions, his and mine, through my wanderings from coast to coast and through a variety of partners, with the occasional spat along the way. It was John who generously gave me a solid place to land in one of my toughest times. And he could always make me laugh. It’s hard to imagine a world without him.” - Deb Barron Northway

Below is a fairly recent photo of John Henry with Rick Quimby and Linda McCarthy.

07/11/2026

🎉 Happy 79th Birthday, Arlo Guthrie!

👉 https://musicthisday.com/
👉 https://www.musicthisday.com/lists/people/50-of-the-greatest-artists-from-new-york

Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Guthrie's best-known work is his debut piece, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", a satirical talking blues song about 18 minutes in length that has since become a Thanksgiving anthem. His only top-40 hit was a cover of Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans". His song "Massachusetts" was named the official folk song of the state, in which he has lived most of his adult life. Guthrie has also made several acting appearances. He is the father of four children, who have also had careers as musicians.

06/23/2026

Ron Carlson closing out the night playing an original song about John Henry and Ned Ludd concerning the struggle with losing jobs to ‘progress’ in industry, at John Henry’s Hammer Open Mic on June 12, 2026.

06/23/2026

Seadog (Gary Breder) playing at John Henry’s Hammer Open Mic on June 12, 2026.

06/23/2026

Dave Yeager talking about the aftermath of the Alaska earthquake at John Henry’s Hammer Open Mic on June 12, 2026.

06/23/2026

Rick Levine playing a rendition of Embryonic Journey at John Henry’s Hammer Open Mic on June 12, 2026.

06/23/2026

Mary Ann McAllister singing Memphis in June at John Henry’s Hammer Open Mic on June 12, 2026.

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90 Main St
Worcester, MA
01608

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