Featuring: Bailey Phelps
Playful Storyteller, Poet, Musician
I was delighted when Bailey Phelps played this Native American flute. Being from the Cherokee tribe, he usually told stories and then played music to lift spirits. Though, I never got to see him in-person, I am grateful to learn about him and the way he connected to everyone.
The story from the video below is one that I have heard many times. Yet, I loved how Bailey made it “his.” I loved the wiggling of his nose for rabbit, the “insult” that bear said about rabbit’s tail, and how he pulled out a little stuffed bear with a stubby tail out of the “magic” bag. He changed what was in that bag depending on what he wished to share with the audience. If you have memories of what he would pull out of that bag–or any others–I would love to know about it.
You can see more details on Bailey Phelps’ page with the Story Artists Memorial thanks to Northern Colorado Storytelling and Wynn Montgomery. This includes his poem or ode to storytelling.
If you have links to add – video, audio, articles – please share by emailing info@storycrossroads.org or commenting on this blog post.
Do you know a Story Artist who has passed on and want others to remember them? Memories? Pictures? You can submit names and memories of Story Artists who have passed on through our online form.
I appreciate Bailey Phelps for his way to put a smile on your face – especially with use of his “magical” bag. He wanted to preserve the stories and the fun.
Bailey Phelps still has a story. You have a story. We all have stories.
I just wanted to say that Bailey Phelps had an extremely positive influence on me when I was a child. I met Bailey when he was a camp counselor at a lake Whitney Presbyterian summer camp in about 1970. He called himself “The Fantanabulous Fat Man”. I was at the time living in a Presbyterian childrens home in Waxahachie Texas. We hit it off immediately and had such a close bond that he took me into his home for the summer the next year. We unfortunately never saw each other again until 2017 when I looked Bailey up when my wife and I were on a trip to Colorado. The main thing is that Bailey was a huge influence in my life and I wanted to send that along. He was a very special person and touched many people.