If so, it makes me sad. A highlight of my early childhood -- what solidified my love for folk music -- was watching Pete perform at my summer camp in upper New York State in 1962. He sang "Wimoweh" and talked about the South African lion sleeping that would soon be getting up, and he was right of course. And we all sang "We Shall Overcome" and meant it, as this was a progressive democratic socialist summer camp governed by equal representation of women, blacks, whites and latins, an anomaly then and even now to some extent, but way before its time. Pete was just so great -- tremendous energy level and terrific harmonies and galvanized the entire audience and blew off the rooftop.
|