Folk legend Pete Seeger dies at 94

[MalaCloudy Black]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/28/us-peteseeger-idUSBREA0R0AJ20140128

(Reuters) - Pete Seeger, who helped create the modern American folk music movement, co-wrote enduring songs like "If I Had a Hammer" and in turn became a leading voice for social justice, died on Monday at the age of 94.

He was variously hailed in social and traditional media as a "hero", "America's conscience" and "A man of the people".

Seeger died of natural causes at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, his record company, Appleseed Recordings, said.

Seeger was well known for his liberal politics, working as an environmentalist, protesting against wars from Vietnam to Iraq. He was sentenced to prison for refusing to testify to Congress about his time in the Communist Party.

In January 2009, Seeger performed at a concert marking Barack Obama's presidential inauguration.

He then celebrated his 90th birthday in May of that year with a concert in New York's Madison Square Garden that drew 15,000 spectators and performers, including Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Emmylou Harris, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez and Kris Kristofferson. Proceeds went an environmental group Seeger founded.

"Like a ripple that keeps going out from a pond, Mr. Seeger's music will keep going out all over the world spreading the message of non-violence and peace and justice and equality for all," Jim Musselman of Appleseed Recordings said in a statement.

Seeger and Woody Guthrie started the Almanac Singers in the early 1940s and in 1949 Seeger was a founding member of another key folk group, the Weavers. Those groups opened the way for Bob Dylan and another generation of folk music singer/songwriters in the 1960s and '70s.

The Weavers had a No. 1 hit with a version of Leadbelly's "Good Night, Irene" and by 1952 the group had sold more than 4 million records. The members soon drifted apart, however, after being blacklisted for links to the Communist Party.

Seeger and Lee Hays wrote "If I Had a Hammer" for the Weavers, along with the hit "So Long, It's Been Good to Know You".

Seeger also wrote the modern classic "Turn! Turn! Turn!" with lyrics from the Bible's Ecclesiastes and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" with Joe Hickerson. But he was modest about his songwriting.

"Hardly any of my songs have been written entirely by me," he once said in an interview. "I swiped things here and there and wrote new verses" to old tunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y7P4n2uT0w

Absolute legend. That he lived this long and was still performing music as late as just last year is incredible.

[METALMAN]

I saw him in a couple,of videos from last year and he still looked in decent health, so this is actually quite surprising!

But even putting his music to the side he had a pretty incredible life, and his legacy has managed to withstand a bludgeoning from BROOOOOOOOOCE's inane interpretations of his songs, so well done Pete Seeger.

[Hobo]

I was really sad to hear this even though he was in his 90s it didn't seem like he'd ever go.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Saul Williams:

I grew up with Pete Seeger. He lived nearby and would show up and sing occasionally at my dads church in Newburgh, NY. I'd always be like, "Why is my dad letting this old white man sing corny school songs at sunday service again?"... It was years before I realized he had written them. When Slam came out, Mr. Seeger sent me a check ("Dear Stacey") for $100 saying how proud he was to see me grow up and to save the check for when I needed it.

I had no idea that Saul Williams literally grew up with Pete Seeger. That's kind of awesome.