Brief Social Commentary / January 28, 2014

Pete Seeger: Humanitarian, Talented Artist, American Folk Singer, Brave Social Activist Who Supported The Poor And Homeless And Moved History, And Had An Estimated Relatively High Degree Of Intuition Died On 1-27-2014 Reportedly Of Natural Causes

Peter “Pete” Seeger was a very talented American folk singer with many hit records and prominent singer of protest in support of; peace and international disarmament; the poor and homeless; civil rights and justice; environmental causes; and counterculture. Readers are encouraged to learn about this brave social activist humanitarian and talented artist who moved history and had an estimated (by this Author) relatively high degree of intuition. Pete Seeger was born May 3, 1919 in New York, New York to parents who were talented musicians and teachers. He died January 27, 2014 reportedly of natural causes.

As I think about his life on this first day after his death here are six of the many highlights that immediately come to mind:

1. His songs often seemed to embrace a core of universal truth and striving for a better and more just and caring world. As a song writer, he was the author or co-author of “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” with Joe Hickerson, “If I Had a Hammer” with Lee Hays, and “Turn, Turn, Turn!”. Pete Seeger was one of the folksingers responsible for popularizing the spiritual “We Shall Overcome”.

2. Pete Seeger was a regular performer on Back Where I Come From in 1940–1941 which was unique at the time in having a racially integrated cast. The show reportedly was an identified success but lacked commercial sponsors for nationwide broadcasting because of its integrated cast.

3. Pete Seeger married Toshi-Aline Ota in 1943 and they remained married until her death in July 2013.

4. Pete Seeger was a founding member of The Almanac Singers and The Weavers. The Weavers’ blacklisting in 1953 lead to stations to refuse to play their records and their bookings were canceled. Seeger stated that he resigned from the Weavers when the three other band members agreed to perform a jingle for a cigarette commercial.

5. On August 18, 1955, Seeger was subpoenaed to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Seeger did not plead the Fifth Amendment. He refused to name personal and political associations on the grounds that this would violate his First Amendment rights and reportedly stated: “I am not going to answer any questions as to my association, my philosophical or religious beliefs or my political beliefs, or how I voted in any election, or any of these private affairs. I think these are very improper questions for any American to be asked, especially under such compulsion as this.” His refusal to testify led to a March 26, 1957, indictment for contempt of Congress and conviction in a jury trial of contempt of Congress in March 1961. In May 1962 an appeals court overturned his conviction.

6. On October 21, 2011, at age 92, Pete Seeger was part of a solidarity march with Occupy Wall Street to Columbus Circle in New York City.

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Pete Seeger: Humanitarian, Talented Artist, American Folk Singer, Brave Social Activist Who Supported The Poor And Homeless And Moved History, And Had An Estimated Relatively High Degree Of Intuition Died On 1-27-2014 Reportedly Of Natural Causes

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