Two good reasons, in fact. 18 August 1955: Number 15 in our series of the 50 key events in the history of world and folk music. “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, February 25,1968. Pete Seeger was a good man. While awaiting trial for contempt of Congress, and likely imprisonment, he threw himself into the civil rights movement. This video shows the original proposal to HUAC that Pete Seeger and his folk music were Un-American. When Pete Seeger appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1955 he refused to answer the committees questions about his personal beliefs He based his refusal on? He then worked for Alan Lomax at the Archive of American Folksong at the Library of Congress. Pete Seeger was one of the most illustrious folk singers of the 20th century. To oversimplify, one can lump the political reactions to Seeger’s death on Monday at 94 into two groups. and existing ones that he adapted – so that anyone could sing them. In 1974, he was the first to record Estadio Chile, the last song Victor Jara wrote before his murder by General Pinochet's thugs. Pete Seeger, singer who sustained the folk music tradition and who was one of the principal inspirations for younger performers in the folk revival of the 1960s. Seeger was born to a musically gifted family. Said Lomax: "You can date the renaissance of American folk song from that night. Prominent figures in the music industry were also targeted, including Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Lena Horne, Pete Seeger and Artie Shaw, all … It was always a lot of fun; we sang great tunes by Pete Seeger, Bill Staines, Bob Dylan, the Beatles and much more, accompanied by guitars, drums, and fiddles. Many consider Pete Seeger to be the father of the folk music revival, and it’s no wonder why. “Resurrecting the Red: Pete Seeger and the Purification of Difficult Reputations.”. Can we divorce a person and their art from their politics? 2002. Any damn fool can get complicated.". But I decline to say who has ever listened to them, who has written them, or other people who have sung them. Even in old age, he kept singing, notably at President Obama's inauguration and Occupy Wall Street. He apologised without reservation for his naivete about Stalin, although he still considered himself a communist. Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, ... Ruth Crawford, now considered by many to be one of the most important modernist composers of the 20th century. As a songwriter, Seeger was never mainstream again, not least because his protest songs were snubbed by broadcasters. But he retained his power to popularise other people's songs. Pete Seeger, 1955, testimony pursuant to subpoena before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Lacking a real tradition of social protest in American folk music, the pair set out to create one. Lomax was the song collector and facilitator, Guthrie the charismatic Dust Bowl poet, and Seeger the man who got America singing. Reading on mobile? He crafted songs – both his own compositions (If I Had a Hammer, Where Have All the Flowers Gone?) Victor Jara wrote before his murder by General Pinochet's thugs, apologised without reservation for his naivete about Stalin. It was in Albany, 1981, and I was part of a university crowd marching downtown to protest the Springboks — the national rugby team of apartheid South Africa. Music 345: Race, Identity, and Representation in American Music, http://www.rockandroll.amdigital.co.uk.ezproxy.stolaf.edu/video/videodetails.aspx?documentId=664253&videoSearch=folk, https://search.proquest.com/docview/1492135733?accountid=351, https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.stolaf.edu/docview/493013412?accountid=351, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2259314, https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.stolaf.edu/docview/229870616?accountid=351, The Accordion: Quintessential American Instrument. Returning to America after serving in the Pacific, Seeger saw two cherished projects fail: his organisation People's Songs, an organisation to "get America singing", and the presidential campaign of the Progressive Party's Henry Wallace. In fact, America wasn’t ready to hear this song. Pete was an intense, idealistic Harvard dropout when, in 1940, the folklorist Alan Lomax introduced him to Woody Guthrie. It was Seeger who introduced Martin Luther King to We Shall Overcome and advised civil rights activist to form their own group, the Freedom Singers. Music is often progressed by flawed, volatile, glamorous egotists, and thank God for them. ete Seeger was a good man. His father Charles, an Ivy League professor and composer, was a pacifist and founding member of the leftwing Composers' Collective, and he came to embrace the radical potential of folk music. His father was the influential musicologist Charles Seeger, and his mother, Constance, was Both these stories, in turn, align with Pete Seeger’s recollections. He was born into a musical and pacifist family in 1919, and spent his adolescence playing the ukulele and four-string banjo. He didn't have a remarkable voice but it was clear and strong and it never got in the way of the material, which was the point. In 1962, the same week his legal troubles were finally over, Peter, Paul and Mary took Where Have All the Flowers Gone? There aren't many musicians you can say that about without seeming simplistic. The goal of the Beethoven Festival Orchestra is to develop multicultural audiences. Growing up, every first Friday of the month my mom and I would go to folk music sing-a-longs with groups of her folk music loving friends. Troubadour and progressive voice. Pete Seeger was a good man. Pete Seeger. But Seeger carved out his place in history with a quieter, rarer set of qualities: nobility, generosity, humility and, when things got rough, breathtaking courage. He refused to testify, as he believed that the questioning of his musical and political endeavors was his own business as an American, and the government had no right interfere. Pete Seeger and Alan Lomax took on this project with gusto. I will be glad to tell what songs I have ever sung, because singing is my business. "Songs have accompanied every liberation movement in history," he wrote. John Nichols: 94 year-old Pete Seeger’s music was stronger than the forces that sought to silence him Story Transcript JESSICA DESVARIEUX, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. The skies opened up on us during the march. As a kid I always thought Pete Seeger embodied what it meant to “be American.” My mom worked with the Madison Folk Music Society, and actually met Pete Seeger a couple of times. First, Seeger refused to answer questions about his beliefs and associations—up until the 1940s, he had been a member of the Communist Party—not on the basis of the Fifth Amendment, which … To call Seeger’s Communist affiliation un-American is to beg the question. By Danny Schechter New York, New York: Pete Seeger, my American idol, was a great singer, songsmith. This leads me to the video that challenges Pete Seeger’s folk ideals. Pete Seeger’s death has prompted several reminiscences about his 1955 appearance before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC).And for good reason. The first time I saw Pete Seeger sing was in a driving rain storm. In death as in life, Pete Seeger brought Americans together, then divided them into warring ideological camps. Photograph: George Pickow/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. ", This impassioned trio brought folk music to the cities and the airwaves. After meeting Woodie Guthrie in 1940 and traveling the country together playing music for gas money, Seeger and other folk musicians started Almanac Singers. In 1957 Seeger was cited on ten counts of contempt of Congress after he refused to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in 1955. When Pete Seeger Faced Down the House Un-American Activities Committee By Dahlia Lithwick Pete Seeger sings at the opening of the Washington labor canteen in 1944. . With 60s anti-war songs such as Waist Deep in the Big Muddy and Bring Them Home, he was largely preaching to the choir. So, how has Pete Seeger remained so “American” after all this time? “Notable & Quotable; the New York Sun Recalls Pete Seeger’s Soaring Music–and His Late-in-Life Confession about Failing to Confront Communism.” 2014. His first group, the Almanac Singers, collapsed during the second world war when their previous role as entertainers at Communist meetings was exposed. One of Pete Seeger's greatest achievements was incorporating political activism into music, and realising that liberation struggles need a soundtrack, Pete Seeger on stage, c.1960. "Once called 'America's tuning fork,' Pete Seeger believed deeply in the power of song. Upon finding this video entitled “Folk singers linked to alleged ‘Communist Conspiracy’” I was shocked to learn that Pete Seeger was accused of being a communist (and didn’t deny it,) mostly because I had heard such negative things about the ideology and such positive things about Pete Seeger from my mom. Pete Seeger was the victim of both of these ugly, Un-American phenomena. Perhaps uniquely, he became one of the most important singers in America without ever being a star, because he believed in the song rather than the singer. Music is often progressed by flawed, volatile, glamorous egotists, and thank God for them. An article entitled “Congress Creates a Frankenstein” published in the Chicago Defender in 1953 argues that HUAC, “began to destroy the freedom expression, freedom of speech, freedom of action and freedom of thought when it pulled in some of the country’s greatest artists, playrights, actors and producers to question them on their loyalty to their government.”. Throughout his 94 years, Seeger's principles never wavered, his optimism never faltered. But there was Pete, banjo in hand, with supporters … Continue reading … We often separate his communist ideology with his message of peace, but why can we not see these political views as an integral part of his message. Bromberg, Minna and Gary Alan Fine. But more importantly, he believed in the power of community – to stand up for what's right, speak … I was surprised that she never mentioned this to me. At its worst, McCarthyism, as manifested by McCarthy himself, involved false charges of espionage and treason rendered against those innocent of any such thing, and often lacking any affiliation with Communism. Seeger was also the forefather of the folk revival. Many consider Pete Seeger to be the father of the folk music revival, and it’s no wonder why. Watch Pete Seeger talking about We Shall Overcome here, Summoned to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1955, Seeger refused to wriggle out of trouble by taking the Fifth and made himself an "unfriendly" witness. At a New York hootenanny in 1946, he was the first to make Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land feel like a new American classic and 23 years later he led half a million anti-war protesters in a chorus of John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance, which, he said, "united the crowd as no speech or song had been able to all afternoon". Music is often progressed by flawed, volatile, glamorous egotists, and thank God for them. He was born into a musical and pacifist family in 1919, and spent his adolescence playing the ukulele and four-string banjo. Pete Seeger, whose name became synonymous with American folksong and who believed there was no injustice a song could not challenge and someday overcome, died … The oft-told anecdote about him trying to take an axe to the power cables during Dylan's electric set at Newport in 1965 isn't true (it was a figure of speech) but he was certainly let down that Dylan would rather be a mercurial rock star than the darling of the folk-loving left. Peter, Paul and Mary took Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Why do we still view communism as so distinctly at odds with Seeger’s message of peace? In that respect, he ended up on the wrong side of history but, having worked tirelessly and risked jail in the service of an ideal, he was justified in feeling disappointed. Here is a video with the original recording of the Almanac Singers “Which Side Are You On?”. Pete Seeger refuses to testify . We find the multi layered Mr. Seeger the perfect subject of this, or any other documentary of it's kind. A representative example of their political message is evident in the song “Which Side Are You On?” While this song was originally written as a union organizing song for miners enduring a violent struggle with mine owners, its lyrics fit very well with Seeger’s questioning of politics and his advocacy for radical social change. into the Top 40. He was born into a musical and pacifist family in 1919, and spent his adolescence playing the ukulele and four-string banjo. Look back at Pete Seeger’s remarkable life in photos. He remained a committed activist and supporter of numerous causes. "These songs will reaffirm your faith in the future of mankind.". He lived with his wife Toshi for 70 years, until her death last summer. Many consider Pete Seeger to be the father of the folk music revival, and it’s no wonder why. His biographers couldn't find anyone with a bad word to say about him. There aren't many musicians you can say that about without seeming simplistic. Pete Seeger would certainly agree with this perspective. Summoned to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1955, Seeger refused to wriggle out of trouble by taking the Fifth and made himself an "unfriendly" witness… A great believer in the power of communal singing, he saw himself as just a catalyst: a means to an end. The music served as the crucible of Seeger’s own style: “Folk songs, radicalism and patriotism blended in his mind,” Dunaway observes. . He was exposed to folk music as a young child, when his parents took him on a musical expedition in a homemade trailer, designed to bring classical music to rural areas. . Pete Seeger (May 3, 1919 - January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer, political activist and author, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American folk music revival.He is particularly loved as the author (or co-author) of the songs Where Have All the Flowers Gone, If I Had a Hammer, and Turn, Turn, Turn.One of his brothers is Mike Seeger; Peggy Seeger is his half-sister. Describing We Shall Overcome, which he adapted and popularised, he said: "It's the genius of simplicity. This committee was part of the second Red Scare, which refers to the fear of communism and its destruction of true American politics, culture, and society that spread across the country in the 40s and 50s. News \ Pete Seeger Was a Boss During His House Un-American Activities Inquisition Read excerpts from the late great folk singer's testimony during the Communist witch-hunt Even if you consider yourself not the greatest maven of (sic)"folk music", Pete Seeger:The Power Of Song' is a must see. He was not only a singer but also a songwriter, labor activist, naturalist and peace advocate. As a solo performer, songwriter, interpreter, and member of the legendary folk band the Weavers, Seeger brought traditional and political so But Seeger carved out his place in history with a quieter, rarer set of qualities: nobility, generosity, humility and, when things got rough, breathtaking courage. He would have considered it neglectfully selfish to retire. He was hounded, sometimes violently, by the right. Perhaps uniquely, he became one of the most important singers in America without ever being a star, because he believed in the song rather than the singer. Pete Seeger, the legendary folk singer (though he didn’t care for the term), died last night at the age of 94. There aren't many musicians you can say that about without seeming simplistic. He soon got over it. His new band, the Weavers, briefly became sensations, but the Red Scare ripped them apart in 1952. He lent a hand to countless musicians in many countries. But Seeger carved out his place in history with a quieter, rarer set of qualities: nobility, generosity, humility and, when things got rough, breathtaking courage. This group aligned with left-wing social movements, as they specialized in anti-war and pro-union songs. Seeger was born into privilege but not convention. Seeger's influence continued down the decades, with his induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and he won a Grammy award in 1997 for best traditional folk album, Pete. But the revival ran away from him, thanks to Bob Dylan. This critical opinion of the committee identifies fundamental problems with HUAC – it its pursuit of the “anti-American” it engaged in an essentially anti-American activity. Pete Seeger, who was considered somewhat off key when he started a movement to clean up the Hudson River by sailing the Clearwater, a 106-foot reproduction of … Even if he had wanted to be a star, America's politics were against him. And there was worse to come. Pete Seeger. Pete Seeger was part of an important musical family, the son of ethnomusicologist Charles Seeger and concert violinist Constance de Clyver Edson Seeger. After dropping out of Harvard at 19 to become a journalist in New York, Seeger discovered he was talented at playing the five-string banjo and knew he wanted to learn more about folk music. His voice may have grown shaky but it carried with it the history of the American left since the New Deal. But the milder forms practiced by others were bad enough. As a songwriter, labor activist, naturalist and peace advocate as a songwriter, Seeger was part an. His power to popularise other people who have sung them snubbed by broadcasters If I Had Hammer... 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