ISC Remembers Brother Blue

The storytelling community has lost one of its most well-known and respected talents.  Brother Blue, a beloved mentor, teacher and storyteller, passed away on November 3, 2009. 

Known for performing barefoot and adorned in a colorful array of ribbons, bows, balloons and butterflies, Brother Blue shared stories, poetry and songs with far-reaching audiences for more than 40 years.  He wanted his listeners to see beyond his costume and soak in the stories, their words and meaning. 

With his energy and originality, Brother Blue touched countless audiences in hospitals, libraries, seminars, prisons, nurseries, Sunday school classes and often in the streets and subways.  During his extensive storytelling career, he was featured several times at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. 

Also known as Hugh Morgan Hill, Ph.D., Brother Blue was dubbed the official storyteller of Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he resided. He earned a bachelor's degree with honors from Harvard University and a master's degree in playwriting from Yale School of Drama.   

“Brother Blue dedicated his life to telling stories in diverse settings for social change, for world peace with justice, and for love,” says Jimmy Neil Smith, founder and president of the International Storytelling Center.  “We will miss the passion he brought to storytelling and cherish the memories of the many hearts his poems, songs and tales have touched for more than four decades.”

Click here for funeral arrangements for Brother Blue.