Folkiefrank, I'm familiar with the McCarthyites actions re Seeger, but I'm not aware of Burl Ive's connection. What did he do?

I have heard Pete sing several times, and I agree that he's a great performer. I've heard him play in concert with Arlo, and when Arlo did his solos, Pete laid back on the stage floor and looked at him with wonder and admiration. One time I got to go backstage after the concert and speak to him. (I was with someone who had connections.) I was impressed with how humble he was and how eager to learn from his audience. One woman mentioned a song to him that he didn't know, and he asked her to send him a recording of it. It was the first time that I realized that a performer feeds off of his audience, just as the audience feeds off of the performer.

Pete is seriously dedicated to a number of causes, including environmentalism. I used to work for the FDA, and a friend there showed me a letter Pete had written. When the FDA or any other federal agency plans to promulgate a regulation, they are required to publish a proposal and solicit comments. Most of the commenters are industry reps or consumer advocates. Pete sent in a short letter, saying something like, "PCBs are so bad for the environment that I think they should be banned completely." The letter was written on a typewriter, not a computer. The letterhead said simply "Pete and Toshi Seeger" and gave their address. I especially liked the way Pete signed the letter. He wrote his name and drew a little sketch of a banjo. He is a genuine article.