“I still believe the only chance for the human race to survive is to give up such pleasures as war, racism and private profit,” Seeger told RS in 1979, beliefs he held until his death.īorn May 3rd, 1919, in New York, Seeger had music and politics in his blood from the start. For his trouble – and his membership in the American Communist Party – Seeger was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the Fifties to make ends meet, he had to play sometimes four concerts a day, for $25 each. Throughout his career, he participated in pro-union and civil rights events and protested wars and nuclear power. Read our 1979 Seeger feature “Pete Seeger: Still Fighting the Good Fight”Ī tall, strapping figure known for his crisp-as-a-mountain-stream singing and banjo playing, Seeger was also a walking, talking, strumming embodiment of the connection between folk song and leftist politics. “The history of Pete’s life is the history of music changing the world,” Tom Morello told RS in 2007. Among those paying tribute to Seeger were Springsteen, Joan Baez, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Tom Morello, Ben Harper and Billy Bragg. His massive influence on music and message was never more obvious than at his 90th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden in 2009. In Seeger’s hands, songs from Cuba (“Guantanamera”) and South Africa (“Wimoweh”) became beloved sing-along standards around the world, and “We Shall Overcome,” a traditional gospel song that Seeger heard early in his career, was a regular part of his repertoire and a staple of civil rights rallies for decades to come.Īlthough Seeger didn’t score a Top 40 hit on his own, the charts were never an indication of his overwhelming impact. ![]() The Byrds had a Number One hit with “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” which Seeger had adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes and set to music. ![]() He wrote or co-wrote “If I Had a Hammer” (a hit for Peter, Paul and Mary) and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” (made famous by the Kingston Trio). Look back at Pete Seeger’s remarkable life in photosĪs a solo performer, songwriter, interpreter, and member of the legendary folk band the Weavers, Seeger brought traditional and political songs to the mainstream over the course of his 70-year career. 1 or Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits will serve as solid choices.Pete Seeger, a seminal figure in American music who kept folk music alive and influenced generations of musicians from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, died Monday of natural causes in New York, his grandson confirmed to The New York Times. For those unfamiliar with Seeger or searching for a more representative collection of his songs, either American Favorite Ballads, Vol. Milquetoast versions of "East Virginia," "Saint James Hospital," and "John Hardy" sound like outtakes from an overlong box set. The overall selection, however, is lackluster. Its 23 selections and 65-minute running time are generous, and a number of tracks - "Coal Creek March" and "The Bourgeois Blues" - were recorded before vibrant live audiences (perhaps at the Newport Folk Festival). It isn't that The Essential Pete Seeger is a bad collection. He's also frequently performed numbers like "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies," "I Shall Not Be Moved," and "Oh What a Beautiful City." But other essentials like "The Hammer Song" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" - perhaps his most essential songs - haven't been included. ![]() Many of the songs, including "The Bells of Rhymney," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?," and "Wimoweh," have long been associated with either Seeger or his group, the Weavers. Pete Seeger usually recorded for Folkways and Columbia, but this collection, recorded between 19, comes from Vanguard's vaults. The Essential Pete Seeger is an odd compilation.
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