Joseph FireCrow remembered

WINSTED —  Resident and nationally known musician Joseph FireCrow, 58, died on Tuesday, July 11.

According to a post on his Facebook page, FireCrow had been battling Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a hereditary disease that his mother died from in 2011.

He was on a waiting list for a bilateral lung transplant.

According to his published obituary, FireCrow was a Grammy Award winner and a seven- time Native American Music Award (NAMA) winner.

In 2016,  FireCrow received the NAMA Lifetime Achievement Award.

A service and celebration of his life was held at Maloney Funeral Home on Saturday, July 15.

FireCrow was from the city of Lame Deer on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in southeastern Montana.

He met his wife, Joann, at a powwow 20 years ago in Hartford.

For more than 20 years, FireCrow and his family called Winsted home.

Throughout his time in the Northwest Corner, FireCrow played benefits for various charities.

FireCrow was a mainstay for years at Friends of Main Street’s annual concert series at East End Park.

At his concerts FireCrow spoke about his Native American heritage and told stories about his family and his Cheyenne tribal history. He shared Native American folklore and the need to respect nature.

FireCrow also played mystical tribal music on a variety of handmade flutes and drums.

“I played the trumpet for a couple years, and I got vain,” FireCrow said last year in an interview with The Winsted Journal. “My heart wasn’t in the right place. It wasn’t until my late 30s that I started playing the flute, and I’ve been doing that since 1993 as a professional.” 

During his concert at East End Park last year, FireCrow spoke about his music.

“As a flute person, your job is to stay there and continue to play your flute no matter what you hear,” he said. “It builds your character within you to continue to play your songs and to focus on what you are doing. In the morning, when you see the sun start to come up, and the birds begin to sing, it is beautiful, your confidence soars high. You get out of yourself, and you truly are a part of nature — and nature welcomes you. That’s why this music is elemental.”

Family and residents remember the performer.

“I think he would like to be remembered as someone who liked to share his culture and his music,” Joann Firecrow told The Winsted Journal on Monday, July 17. “He loved to bring culture to the community. I would describe him as a person with a smile that could light up a room. Joseph was someone who loved all people, especially children. He was active in his culture and he wanted to share that with the world. He will be very sorely missed.”

“I was impressed by his enthusiasm for helping others,” long time Friends of Main Street volunteer Phillip Allen wrote via email. “He shared himself through his art, storytelling and presence.”

FireCrow recorded with both national and local musicians, including Torrington’s Jacque Williams.

“We were so honored when he said ‘yes’ to our invitation to perform on our upcoming song ‘Justice 4 All,” Williams wrote via email. “Joseph still performed on the project even though he was not 100 percent. We were so happy to have him. On the song he played flute and did some chants, which added to the authenticity of the record. He helped us out so many times performing at performance labs and events for the Singer Songwriter Network.” 

Williams wrote that FireCrow was “one of a kind.”

“We are so saddened by his passing,” Williams wrote. “However, we will have Joseph always and we consider ourselves lucky to have known him and worked with him.”

West Hartford musician Eric Paradine, who has been a frequent presence in Winsted at various charity concerts, wrote via email that he first met both Joseph FireCrow and his wife Joann in 2013 at a party in Guilford.

“Joseph and Joann were so gracious and welcoming,” Paradine wrote. “When it was time for Joseph to share the gift of his music, I ended up providing an ambient guitar backdrop for his Native American flutes. Being outside under the stars our music rose up into the clear night sky and it was wonderful. Joseph FireCrow never wore his resume on his sleeve. He was a gentle smiling spirit and an angel with the song of heaven and earth in his heart. I will always treasure the music we made together.”

“He represented the best in our country, sharing the traditions of his culture with thousands of people,” Mayor Candy Perez wrote in an email. “He was a giving man to his community.”

The FireCrow family have asked for donations and contributions in his memory be sent to: 

Northern Cheyenne Girls and Boys Club, P.O. Box 309, Lame Deer, MT 59043-0309.