Ruth Warrick - 41,000 Plus 4 (Ballad of the Kent State Massacre)

Details

Title	Ruth Warrick - 41,000 Plus 4 (Ballad of the Kent State Massacre)
Author	Vietnam War Song Project
Duration	4:33
File Format	MP3 / MP4
Original URL	https://youtube.com/watch?v=JPOiGJgwGHQ

Description

Kent State songs: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/JBrummer/vietnam_war__kent___jackson_state_songs/
The song "41,000 Plus 4 (The Ballad of the Kent State Massacre)" by Ruth Warrick took a strong anti-war position, attacking the US Congress and the president. She referenced the Kent State shootings, Jackson State killings, and the Augusta, Georgia race riot. The title refered to the number of US combat deaths in Vietnam at the time of release, in 1970, plus the four student killed in Ohio. The total number would eventually rise to over 58,000. Warrick (1915-2005), born in St. Joseph, Missouri, starred in over 30 Hollywood films in the 1940s and 50s, such as Citizen Kane. She took an active role on political and social issues in the 60s and 70s, including on the Vietnam War, resulting in this single. She worked and helped to promote Operation Bootstrap, a Los Angeles cooperative economic development agency, which aimed to make African-Americans economically self-sufficient.

Entertainment World reported in 1970 (Volume 2, Part 2) that: "The Ballad of the Kent State Massacre, or 41,000 Plus 4 has been released as a single by actress / singer Ruth Warrick as her contribution to the May 27 strike for peace. Miss Warrick, co-founder of the Operation Bootstrap project in Los Angeles, wrote and sang the song. She was recently pictured in the New York Times wearing a sign saying 'I'm waaaay over 30. I'm a taxpayer. I'm no bum. I dissent". Broadcasting magazine also reported on the release of this single in 1970: "Remembering Kent State - A folk ballad called "41,000 plus 4 — the ballad of the Kent State massacre" sung by actress-singer Ruth Warrick is being distributed to radio stations — mostly underground FM stations — around the U.S."