American folk music
Pete Seeger
Musician | Songwriter | SOCIAL ACTIVIST
Who is this rail-thin man with the five-string Banjo?
It’s no exaggeration to say that Pete Seeger has done more to popularize American folk music than any other contemporary musician, authoring or co-authoring songs that have become folk standards: “If I Had a Hammer,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” to name just a few. His work has inspired countless musicians including Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and the Dixie Chicks, and his tireless political and environmental activism have galvanized generations of admirers to follow his lead and take action.
Life and Career
Born on May 3, 1919 to Charles and Constance Seeger, music was in Seeger’s blood from the first; his father was a Professor of musicology and his mother, a classical violinist. Seeger grew up surrounded by music, learning to play the ukulele, guitar, and banjo by the time he was in his teens. An early job assisting folk archivist Alan Lomax to transcribe and record traditional music in the American South cemented his commitment to reviving the American folk music tradition. Trips with Woody Guthrie enriched his (and America’s) repertoire.
The Almanac Singers
His first group, The Almanac Singers appeared on one of America’s radio networks with win-the-war (WWII) songs before they were blacklisted.
The Weavers
His popular quartet, The Weavers, had four platinum hits at folk songs before they, too, were blacklisted.
Social Activist
Seeger’s commitment to the revival of American folk music is rivaled only by his commitment to using music as an instrument for social change. His activism has been a constant in his career. Throughout the 1940’s, he was singing protest and union songs–first with Woody Guthrie, and his first group, The Almanac Singers. The Weavers cover of Lead Belly’s “Goodnight Irene” became the number-one song for 1950. But at the height of their popularity they suffered from FBI surveillance for their politics, forcing Seeger to spend much of the 50’s battling HUAC for his socialist beliefs. (See details in How Can I Keep From Singing (Ballantine, 2008)) [Read More]
“If music only could change the world, I’d only be a musician.”
Pete Seeger
Check out the Radio Series
✓ American Folk Music History
✓ BTS with Pete Seeger