The Queen of American Folk Music: Pete Seeger

A blog post about the life and work of the folk singer and social activist, Pete Seeger.

Early Life and Career

Pete Seeger was born in New York City on May 3, 1919. He was the son of Charles and Constance Seeger, both of whom were music educators. Charles Seeger was a well-known musicologist, and Constance Seeger was a concert violinist. Pete Seeger’s uncle, Alan Seeger, was a renowned poet who served in the US Army during World War I and was killed in action.

Pete Seeger’s early life

Pete Seeger was born on May 3, 1919, in New York City. He came from a musical family—his father, Charles Louis Seeger, Jr., was a noted musicologist, and his mother, Constance de Clyver Edson Seeger, was a concert violinist. Young Pete learned to play the banjo and ukulele from his father and the violin from his mother. The family often sang together, and music was an important part of the Seeger household.

Pete went to boarding school at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut and later attended Harvard University. He did not stay at Harvard long, however—he left after one year to pursue his passion for music. He traveled around the country hitchhiking and riding freight trains, playing music and learning new folk songs wherever he went. He also worked with several different music groups during this time, including Woody Guthrie’s band, the Almanac Singers.

Pete Seeger’s musical career

Pete Seeger’s musical career began in 1940 when he joined the Almanac Singers. The Almanac Singers were a group of folksingers who wrote and performed songs about labor issues and other social justice topics. He left the group in 1942 to join the Army, but when he was discharged in 1945, he rejoined the Almanac Singers.

In 1949, Seeger co-founded the folk music group The Weavers. The Weavers were very successful and had several Top 40 hits in the 1950s, including “On Top of Old Smokey” and “Goodnight, Irene.” However, Seeger’s career was almost derailed in 1955 when he was subpoenaed to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Seeger refused to answer questions about his political beliefs, and as a result, he was blacklisted from appearing on television or having his music played on the radio. Despite this setback, Seeger continued to perform and record music, and in 1964 he helped organize the Newport Folk Festival. He also wrote or co-wrote several songs that became popular anthems of the 1960s anti-war movement, including “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!”

The Weavers

The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. The group was founded in 1948 by Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert with the original lineup including Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman. The group disbanded in 1964 but later reformed in 1980 without Pete Seeger.

The Weavers’ formation

Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman met in 1948 while they were all members of the Almanac Singers. When the Almanacs disbanded later that year, the foursome decided to form their own group, which they named the Weavers. Larry Auerbach served as the group’s manager and booked them into clubs in New York City. The Weavers made their debut at the Village Vanguard on Christmas Day 1948.

The group’s repertoire consisted of a mix of traditional folk songs, labor songs, and topical songs written by members of the Communist Party USA. Their closeharmony singing and Seeger’s distinctive five-string banjo playing quickly won them a following among New York City’s folk music fans. In 1949, they began appearing regularly on Sunday nights at the Village Gate nightclub. That same year, they made their first commercial recordings for the short-lived Vanguard label.

The Weavers’ success

The Weavers’ successful string of hit records in the early 1950s brought folk music to a wide listening audience for the first time. In doing so, the group helped foster the American folk music revival that took place in the years following World War II.

The Weavers’ version of Lead Belly’s “Goodnight, Irene” became a number one hit on the Billboard charts in 1950, selling over two million copies. The song’s success helped to launch the career of Lead Belly’s widow, Martha Promise Ledbetter, who became a member of the Weavers following her husband’s death in 1949.

The group’s other notable recordings include “On Top of Old Smokey,” ” Kisses Sweeter Than Wine,” and “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena.” The Weavers’ recordings of these and other traditional folk songs helped to introduce America to its own musical heritage.

Later Career

Pete Seeger’s career was resurrected in the late 1960s with the help of younger musicians who were influenced by his work. He continued to perform and record until his death in 2014.

Pete Seeger’s later career

After his time in the Army, Seeger returned to music and started to focus on American Folk music. He played a pivotal role in the American Folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. He co-founded the folk music group, The Weavers, who had several hits including “On Top of Old Smokey” and “Goodnight Irene”. Seeger also wrote or co-wrote many famous songs including “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, which was later recorded by The Byrds.

In the late 1960s, Seeger became increasingly involved in social and political activism. He was a outspoken critic of the Vietnam War and was an active member of the civil rights movement. In 1969, he helped organized the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, which featured some of the biggest names in music at the time. In subsequent years, Seeger continued to tour and perform regularly despite his advancing age. He continued to be an advocate for social justice until his death in 2014.

Pete Seeger’s influence on American music

Pete Seeger was an American folk singer and songwriter, who was an influential figure in the mid-20th century American folk music revival. His best-known songs include “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” and “If I Had a Hammer.”

Seeger was born into a musical family: his father, Charles Seeger, was a music teacher and composer, and his mother, Constance de Clyver Edson Seeger, was a concert violinist. He began playing the banjo and singing at an early age, and by his teens he was performing with various folk groups. In 1940, he joined the Bottomland String Band, which later became the Weavers. With the group, he popularized several traditional songs, including “On Top of Old Smokey” and “Tzena Tzena Tzena.”

After the Weavers disbanded in 1964, Seeger continued to perform as a solo artist and with various other musicians. He also became involved in political activism, using his music to support causes such as the civil rights movement and opposition to nuclear proliferation. In the 1980s and ’90s, he collaborated with many other artists on albums and concerts celebrating America’s musical heritage. He continued to perform into his nineties; his final concert took place in New York City in 2013, shortly before his death at the age of 94.