Pete Seegerhas Always Walked the Road Less Traveled. a Tall, Lean Fellow

Pete Seegerhas always walked the road less traveled. A tall, lean fellow with long arms and legs, high energy and a contagious joy of spjrit, he set everything in motion, singing in that magical voice, his head thrown back as though calling to the heavens, makingyou see that you can change the world, risk everything, do your best, cast away stones. “Bells of Rhymney,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” “ One Grain of Sand,” “ Oh, Had I a Golden Thread” ^ songs Right, from top: Seeger, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie (from left) at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert at Carnegie Hail, 1967; filming “Wasn’t That a Time?," a movie of the Weavers’ 19 8 0 reunion; Seeger with banjo; at Red Above: The Weavers in the early ’50s - Seeger, Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman (from left). Left: Seeger singing on a Rocks, in hillside in El Colorado, 1983; Cerrito, C a l|p in singing for the early '60s. Eleanor Roosevelt, et al., at the opening of the Washington Labor Canteen, 1944; aboard the “Clearwater” on his beloved Hudson River; and a recent photo of Seeger sporting skimmer (above), Above: The Almanac Singers in 1 9 4 1 , with Woody Guthrie on the far left, and Seeger playing banjo. Left: Seeger with his mother, the late Constance Seeger. PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE COLLECTION OF HAROLD LEVENTHAL AND THE WOODY GUTHRIE ARCHIVES scattered along our path made with the Weavers - floor behind the couch as ever, while a retinue of like jewels, from the Ronnie Gilbert, Fred in the New York offices his friends performed present into the past, and Hellerman and Lee Hays - of Harold Leventhal, our “ Turn Turn Turn,” back, along the road to swept into listeners’ mutual manager. Pete “ Golden Thread” and “If the future. hearts with rhythmic, was fast asleep, banjo I Had a Hammer.” In spite of his success sweet guitars; banjo; case by his side, sweater President Clinton spoke with audiences, I think clapping hands; and under his head. Harold of Pete’s being an Pete is shy by nature, rainbow lyrics: also managed Woody “inconvenient artist” though he speaks easily “Kumbaya,” “ Goodnight, Guthrie - who in 1988 who was attacked for his to multitudes. Descended Irene,” “ If I Had a preceded Pete into the beliefs, though he was from the Mayflower Hammer,” “ On Top of Rock and RoU Hall of now wearing those attacks Pilgrims, Pete has been a OldSmokey,” “Michael Fame as an early influ as badges of honor. performer and recording (Row the Boat Ashore).” ence - and Woody’s son Washington’s elite artist for six decades. Around the world, the Arlo. Harold said that cheered as Pete accepted During some of those Weavers’ music lifted the Pete would often use the his honor, smiling years, he was hounded by spirits of men and women, floor behind the couch gently. As I watched the Sen. Joseph McCarthy whether they were at to catch up on his sleep tape of that celebration and the House concerts in small towns and added that he was with Harold Leventhal, I Un-American Activities and big cities, on picket often perplexed when thought I saw the Committee for his lines, college campuses, Pete booked one, two or glimmer of tears in political leanings, banned in sweatshops or union even three concerts on Pete’s eyes. I know there from performing on meetings. The Weavers the same night - not were tears in Harold’s national television and sang songs that quieted always in the same town, and in my own. shut out from thè the beast separating us and mostly for free. Pete For the past 20 years, commercial record from our fellows. was ever a voice of the Pete has toured with buying audience. Still, My first memory of Pete needy, the poor, the Woody Guthrie’s son Pete’s music broke is the sound of that disenfranchised. He Arlo, and from his through the darkness of riveting, enchanting voice wrote the book on doing sloop, the Clearwater, the Depression years in on a recording I dug out of benefits, and those who Pete has fought, with America, the war-torn the vinyl racks of the follow his path for so great success, for the ’40s and the silent’50s. Denver Folklore Center. I many good causes, from cleansing of the Hudson Pete has transcended was in high school, saving the rain forests to River. Able to retire every trouble to become learning the guitar, raising money for AIDS, covered in glory, Pete a voice of the people, a rebelling and searching were shown the way by keeps going, singing prophet of the times for meaning, and I still Pete Seeger. out and speaking out past and the times to remember the young “What a surprise! ” all over this world. come, praised by artists faces in the bright-colored Pete is probably thinking Pete’s music is and and audiences around photograph on the cover tonight. A folk singer always was the promise the world. Lee, Freddy and Ronnie; (Pete actually doesn’t like of what we are all long Born in New York City Pete with his head thrown to be referred to as a folk ing to be a part of, even in 1919, Pete Seeger back, eyes closed. So singer) being inducted as we are individuals. learned well about his young, so passionate, all into the Rock and Roll It has been a long road, American musical of them singing of peace, Hall of Fame, joining the filled with struggle, but heritage from his father, singing of strength and company of Chuck Berry, Pete has taught us so a musicologist, and his courage. Their music was Bob Dylan, LaVern much in the medium of mother, a violin teacher. a hammerblow to the fear Baker, the Byrds and the song, the language of the His early interest in folk and the paralysis of the Rolling Stones! heart. In his footsteps music was encouraged by ’50s, a counterpoint to Butwhynot? Many many walk, many run, the great musical the shadow of McCarthy honors have been given to many write and sing. But archivist Alan Lomax. on the walls of our halls the man who set there is only one Pete Seeger crossed the and our hearts. In that everything in motion, Seeger, the man whose country by rail and darkness, Pete and the who taught us all to sing. incredible life thumb, went to Harvard Weavers were seekers of In 1995 the National demonstrates that one and served in the Army truth, sojourners in music Endowment for the Arts’ person can make a in World War II. He sang and life. In them we found National Medal of Arts difference, there is a time with Woody Guthrie in music that could lift us was presented to Pete at to be alone, a time to weep, the 1940s and formed up, and we set it onto our the Kennedy Center, in atime to dance, atime to the Weavers, one of the own powerful shoulders. Washington, D.G. The gather stones together - most extraordinary and My next memory of Pied Piper’s once light- that there is a purpose to successful musical the tall, shy visionary brown hair, now iron gray, every life and atime to ensembles of its era. was seeing him in 1964, shone above his blue eyes, every purpose under The music that Pete stretched out on the as piercing and passionate heaven. —Judy Collins.

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