Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)

Subject: Obit: Pete Seeger
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:15 AM

News seems to have seeped out of Dutchess County, NY, that Pete Seeger has passed away. Dan Schatz has posted on facebook about it. There is nothing on the regular news outlets yet.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:26 AM

First person I listened to in this music, Had I a Golden Thread, 12 Gates to the City.

Rest in peace

Patrick

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:28 AM

Dan got the information from Jennifer Cutting of the Library of Congress, and she's a very reliable source.

May he rest in peace.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,Skivee, guesting in
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:34 AM

Joe, I think she got it from Dan, who heard from a reliable source mutual friend.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:41 AM

The New York Times now has an obituary in place.

Pete Seeger, the singer, folk-song collector and songwriter who spearheaded an American folk revival and spent a long career championing folk music as both a vital heritage and a catalyst for social change, died Monday. He was 94 and lived in Beacon, N.Y.

His death was confirmed by his grandson, Kitama Cahill Jackson, who said he died of natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Mr. Seeger's career carried him from singing at labor rallies to the Top 10 to college auditoriums to folk festivals, and from a conviction for contempt of Congress (after defying the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s) to performing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at an inaugural concert for Barack Obama.

For Mr. Seeger, folk music and a sense of community were inseparable, and where he saw a community, he saw the possibility of political action.

In his hearty tenor, Mr. Seeger, a beanpole of a man who most often played 12-string guitar or five-string banjo, sang topical songs and children's songs, humorous tunes and earnest anthems, always encouraging listeners to join in. His agenda paralleled the concerns of the American left: He sang for the labor movement in the '40s and '50s, for civil rights marches and anti-Vietnam War rallies in the '60s, and for environmental and antiwar causes in the '70s and beyond. "We Shall Overcome," which Mr. Seeger adapted from old spirituals, became a civil rights anthem.

The article is quite long, you'll find the rest at the link, and their links are durable so I won't copy the whole thing here.

SRS

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:45 AM

this news is so new it's still not on google.

I treasure my only contact with him - a reply to birthday wishes a few years ago, He sent a handwritten form letter which included apologies for not answering personally as he had been overwhelmed by letters since playing for President Obama's inauguration.

RIP to a wonderful human being

sandra

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Neil D
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:58 AM

Very sad news. I know he was 94 but somehow you just thought he would go on forever.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 02:06 AM

Very sad news, but it's the opportunity to celebrate his life too.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Elmore
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 02:08 AM

It makes me feel like a beloved family member died. May he rest in peace.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Kampervan
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 02:10 AM

Very, very sad day for his family, for the folk world and for many others who were touched by his great songs and his wonderful performances.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 02:22 AM

I fell into uncontrollable weeping as soon as I heard the report on BBC Radio 4. Haven't been so affected by the death of famous person since John Lennon. Well I should be happy that he had such a good long run at being the artful gadfly.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 02:24 AM

He was an inspiration to a generation.
We will not see his like again.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Haruo
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 02:34 AM

Inspiration to more than one generation. I'm pushing sixty, and when I was a college freshman I had a crush on a girl who was proud to say she had been conceived at a Pete Seeger concert.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 02:36 AM

Pete Seeger was amazing.   I remember seeing him in concert at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton in the early 70's. A friend and I were wanting to start a folk club, and we went back stage to talk to him. He spoke to us for a full hour, just talking about folk music, his respect for Canadian folk music (and how it was such a shame it wasn't honoured in it's own country the way it was honoured in others.   Such a memorable experience. I wish I would have recorded it.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: elfcape
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 02:39 AM

His life was a miracle. How he survived a wonder. Where he learned the courage to be what he was? We should all seek the same. He was a very brave human being. And just went on being himself while doing what he felt was right.

Thanks, Pete, for every single piece of you that you gave away so indomitably.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:07 AM

The world of folk music, and music in general, will be poorer for his passing. Only got to see him live once when he visited Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978; a fantastic performance which will never be forgotten.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:27 AM

Not unexpected but sad nevertheless. The Weavers, along with Woody, Ledbelly and Ramblin' Jack, were my introduction to American folk music. His long and courageous career as a political and environmental activist were an inspiration to millions and his music a great influence.

RtS

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:47 AM

MSNBC noticed this about ten minutes ago:

Iconic folk singer and activist Pete Seeger dead at 94

F. Brinley Bruton and Christopher Nelson, NBC News
28 January 2014

Pete Seeger, the iconic banjo-strumming folk singer and activist who performed for migrant workers and presidents, died on Monday. He was 94.

Seeger, the writer or co-writer of "If I Had a Hammer," "Turn, Turn, Turn," and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," died of natural causes in a New York City hospital, his grandson Kitama Cahill-Jackson confirmed to NBC News early Tuesday.

"He got the world to sing," his grandson said. "I think he was a role model to his family, to the whole world."

"He thought everyone could be heroic," Cahill-Jackson added.
As a member of the Communist Party in the 1940s, Seeger's skepticism of those in power carried through his career. He was a longtime supporter of the labor movement, and supported the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements. Seeger was also convicted of contempt of Congress after refusing to answer questions at the House Un-American Activities Committee.

"Be wary of great leaders," he told The Associated Press after a 2011 Manhattan Occupy march. "Hope that there are many, many small leaders."

Nevertheless, he performed for presidents as well, including at President Barack Obama's inauguration concert in 2009.

President Bill Clinton hailed him as "an inconvenient artist who dared to sing things as he saw them."

Seeger was born on May 3, 1919, to an artistic family in New York City, and dropped out of Harvard and took to the road in 1938.
"The sociology professor said, 'Don't think that you can change the world. The only thing you can do is study it,'" Seeger said in October 2011, according to the AP.

During World War II, he entertained soldiers in the South Pacific as part of the Special Services.

Seeger was credited with popularizing what became the anthem for the civil rights movement, "We Shall Overcome," although he said his contribution to the actual song was minimal.

In 1996, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2014 became a Grammy Awards nominee in the Best Spoken Word category.
"Every kid who ever sat around a campfire singing an old song is indebted in some way to Pete Seeger," said fellow folk singer Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody Guthrie, according to the AP.

John

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,Gervase
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:47 AM

For me he epitomised all that was great and admirable about America. Seeger was a towering presence in so many people's lives, even if they didn't know it. Still, 94 is a good innings.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: fat B****rd
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:48 AM

RIP Mr.Seeger. A remarkable man.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:49 AM

RIP Pete, the world is a lesser place today.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:49 AM

"This machine surrounds hate & forces it to surrender."

Go on, brother; your shift is finished and you done good.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: melodeonboy
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:50 AM

An inspirational man, both musically and politically. RIP.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: nager
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:55 AM

So sorry to hear the news. Pete Seeger was an inspiration to so many of us. Thanks for everyhting Pete... you will be remembered for ever!!

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: KT
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:56 AM

In the spirit of friendship, shared sorrow in his passing and gratitude for his time here, I offer this link, which Genie shared on FB. Thank you, Pete.
KT

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:59 AM

Martin Simpson on 'Today' - BBC Radio4 now   Tha Singaround above just got a HUGE addition .

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: bbc
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:17 AM

Such sad news, but a life well-lived. I heard him perform in his/my local area at a free hardware store concert, once, & Duane had a chance to chat with him. This is history.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Brian May
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:19 AM

A giant in folk.

Rest easy Pete, the work you could do, you did. Thank you for being, you're the reason I play guitar and at the banjo.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,Wolfgang
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:22 AM

A legend when still alive, and a legend he remains now.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:23 AM

So long, Pete, it's been good to know you. I grew up listening to your songs, and I still often sing them. You have been an inspiration to so many generations all over the world. Goodnight, Pete Seeger, goodnight.

Matthew

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: andymac
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:23 AM

I never met him but he inspired me as he did countless others. The world just lost a beautiful person. RIP Pete. Thanks

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:41 AM

I have a little note from him when i wrote to him many years ago with the little banjo looped into the signature. That he had time to write to me moves me greatly. I found the letter this morning. A true true legend. Saw him play a little when he came to London.

Patrick

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,RWJ
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:43 AM

Sad news, gone but never will be forgoten. My thought are with his family.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:45 AM

Thank you for that clip KT. It catches the mood wonderfully. There are, of course, many superlatives that can be used to celebrate Pete Seeger and all his many achievements. Folk music and justifiable public protest would have been so different if he hadn't put so much energy and love into it.

RIP

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Bert
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:52 AM

I just finished watching a show on Netflix about Greenwich Village and he featured prominently.

By you ol' fart, we'll miss you.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,cujimmy
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:54 AM

Rest in peace Pete, your inspiration will carry on within every generation.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:08 AM

Sorry to hear this sad news ... he has left us with so much.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:10 AM

Apologies that guest post was mine, didn't realise I wasn't logged in.

RIP

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:10 AM

Artists 4 Action - Recent (and lovely) Interview with Pete

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:13 AM

It is indeed a sad day. Pete had an enormous influence over here in England as well, from his visits, especially in about 1964 when he did a concert in London which gave a great boost to the rapidly expanding folk song movement, and in the way he inspired others by his own example to sing along in the choruses and to sing about justice. I saw him in concert just once - on his last visit to England for sister Peggy's 70th birthday concert in London. A treasured memory.
Derek

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:19 AM

A truly great man, an inspiration. R.I P. Dick Miles

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:22 AM

Legend. RIP.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: The Barden of England
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:27 AM

There's no more I can add to what's already been said. What a life and what a man. Rest easy.
John Barden

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:38 AM

I feel as though the heart has been torn from me. R.I.Pete

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: bradfordian
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:41 AM

MY RAINBOW RACE

One blue sky above us,
One ocean, lapping all our shores.
One earth so green and round,
Who could ask for more?

And because I love you
I'll give it one more try
To show my rainbow race
It's too soon to die.

One of my favorites, but sooo many to choose from.
A monumental influence on the folk and political scene.
A great "innings" and many, many thanks for your contribution.
RIP Pete Seeger

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:44 AM

The giant is gone, RIP Pete.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: gnu
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 06:07 AM

RIP... and thanks.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 06:24 AM

A light has gone out, not only for we folk people but for the human race worldwide. I am deeply saddened by his passing, but equally am glad that I knew his music and that I met him and shook his hand. Thank you, and Rest in Peace Pete. We all owe you so much. Rest assured thatthe singing will go on. Condolences to Peggy and the rest of the family. RoyH.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 06:29 AM

Thanks for that tribute Roy. Extremely well put and very moving. But that's two humanitarian giants we've lost in as many months. I know they had both reached the grand old ages of 94. But will someone tell God to go easy. We haven't got many left.

Subject: RE: Obit: Pete Seeger (1919-2014)
From: voyager
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 06:36 AM

The Seeger Family Have Been a Musical Gift to our Country

Lyrics to Or Else! (One-A These Days) :
(Pete Seeger, David Bernz and A.N. Onymous. Music by Pete Seeger)

[Chorus:]
One-a these days (ONE-A THESE DAYS)
One-a these days (ONE-A THESE DAYS)
One-a these days, one-a these days
OR ELSE!

Our school will get the money it needs for smaller classes,
And the Navy will hold a bake sale to build a battleship.

[Chorus]

And Johnny will get the money he needs for that operation,
And the Air Force will hold a raffle to buy a bomber.

[Chorus]

And every vote will be counted in every election,
And the winners will always keep all of their promises.

[Chorus]

And around the world we'll learn each other's languages
And the very first thing we'll learn is how to listen.
(spoken) "Who knows the word for 'hello' in some other language?"
(spoken responses of "hello" in several languages)

[Chorus]

God only knows what the future will be
God only knows what the future will be
But God gave us brains
He meant us to use 'em

RIP
voyager