1995 WaPo interview. Don't have lexis nexus to look it up. He went on an immoral equivalency rant but never actually apologized for supporting totalitarianism.

For a guy that loved environmental issues he supported people that did more to destroy the environment than anyone.

Again, not true

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:25pm.

He apologized -- but indicated there were lots of things that people can apologize about -- and said that what was more important was to look forward and work for a better future.

But -- haters got to hate.

Hey, John Birch?

By SwirlyGrrl on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:20pm.

Haven't seen you in a while. Taking a break from hanging with the Westboro Baptist Church?

Yeah sure someone that questions the character and sincerity of a person which took 50+ years to renounce support of the worst mass murderers in history is on par with the conspiracy nuts and law suit seeking religious cults.

Abiyoyo

By Eastiegirl on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 7:23am.

I know and old lady who swallowed a fly.

Thanks for the memories from my childhood which have now been passed on to my daughter.

Still don't know why she swallowed a fly! I guess she'll die.

Thank you for being.

Old South Meeting House

By anon on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 9:43am.

That Pete Seeger concert was part of the Ford Hall Forum series and took place at the Old South Meeting House in Downtown Crossing in 1967. Of course, it wasn't called Downtown Crossing then. RIP, Pete.

A great musician and...

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 9:44am.

a both great American and a great citizen of the world.

Am I?

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 11:02am.

Am I the only person who doesn't know who this guy is?

Seriously, I don't.

I'm also the same person who gets Gaga/Ke$ha/Perry/Beiber/Cyrus all confused...

Yes you are. Too bad there

By Scratchie on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 11:09am.

Yes you are. Too bad there isn't some sort of worldwide, easily-accessible computer network where you could look this sort of stuff up.

Yeah

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 11:28am.

I'm not an idiot, I did that. Still doesn't ring a bell..

Then again from what I can tell its Folk Music. I'll listen to that right after I catch up on what's new in the world of Rap and Country... (said me like NEVER)

Pretty dismissive

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 11:51am.

> .... Folk Music. I'll listen to that right after I catch up on what's new in the world of Rap and Country

Care to share what sort of music you consider worthy of your greatness?

It's your loss that you neither know nor care who Pete Seeger was.

Sorry but count me in as

By Patricia on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 12:17pm.

Sorry but count me in as another who can't stand folk music. I was a youngun in the 60's but heard a lot of music due to older siblings and parents constantly playing records. And ya, even in it's heyday I couldn't warm up to this kind of music.

I know of his name only because I've heard it mentioned, but not much else.

More to the guy than folk singing

By SwirlyGrrl on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:05pm.

Even if you don't appreciate folk singing (and I was never much into it, myself), as a lover of freedom, I'm betting you can get onto this spirit of resistance against tyranny:

In 1955 he was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he testified, “I feel that in my whole life I have never done anything of any conspiratorial nature.” He also 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.”

Mr. Seeger offered to sing the songs mentioned by the congressmen who questioned him. The committee declined.

Nobody told the The Unamerican House Activities Committee how to get bent like Pete Seeger.

Also, his activities to get the Hudson cleaned up were also a model for the demands for the cleanup of just about every major waterway on the continent. If you can walk along the Charles or the Neponset without holding your nose, well, that's Pete Seeger's legacy, too.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/arts/music/pete-seeger-songwriter-and-...

For all practical purposes

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 12:56pm.

Almost all music one is likely to encounter is rooted in folk music (of one sort or another). Saying one doesn't like "folk music" dismisses most of the music ever created (and ignores the fact that the music you DO like -- if any -- almost surely is connected to some sort of folk music).

except rap

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:28pm.

rap and most modern dance music.

(and your statement is completely wrong btw)

Rap definitely has African folk music roots

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:31pm.

No clue as to "modern dance music" -- I am neither modern nor a dancer.

Sorry

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:37pm.

Yeah but FOLK MUSIC to most isn't African folk music. yeah if you CLARIFIED and said we were no longer talking United States specific "Folk Music" sure.. its a stretch IMHO..

Except that "United States

By Scratchie on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:41pm.

Except that "United States specific Folk Music" is strongly rooted in the blues, which derive from (wait for it) African folk music.

Classical rap

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:49pm.

Gershwin's Porgy and Bess has a song (not always included in performances) that sounds like proto-rap. Presumably he heard something like this when doing musical research among the Gullah on the coastal islands off South Carolina.

Why on earth would the term "folk music"....

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:43pm.

... imply US folk music? If I said "movies" would you assume I was talking about what Hollywood has churned out recently.

In any event, African folk music is, by this point, inextricably intertwined with "American" folk music.

I assume he's referring to

By Scratchie on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:40pm.

I assume he's referring to EDM like Daft Punk, which, yes, most definitely goes back ultimately (via disco) to R&B and reggae and other music with more obvious connections to folk music.

Kevin Bacon

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:45pm.

yep and I can play three degrees of Kevin Bacon and link you with Kevin Bacon

My point is, yeah you could say that, but ALL music could be traced back to Folk Music because before most modern (20th century) music, there wasn't much else!

Fine point taken.

Lots of non-folk music...

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:52pm.

... prior to the 20th Century. But most of this has roots in even older folk music.

> ALL music could be traced back to Folk Music

That was, I thought, my point. Blowing off "folk music" means blowing off most music.

A time to learn

By anon on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 12:36pm.

If you truly don't know anything about Pete Seeger, and I find it hard to believe you haven't heard any of his music, it's time to go learn.

You really shouldn't talk about Justin Bieber and Pete Seeger in the same post.

I don't care

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:29pm.

I really don't care to. K? Thanks for playing.

You are being ....

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:32pm.

... a dick in an obituary thread. Not classy. Not classy at all.

You want class

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:51pm.

Get a room at the four season.. don't look in this direction.

Then why chime in on a thread about a guy you've never heard of?

By Sally on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:43pm.

I mean...I like pointless chat as much as the next guy but really?

It's Universal Hub

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:50pm.

Isn;t that the point of this website to COMMENT on stuff, Plus I am on my lunch,..

But to be frank, I'm pissed off.

I made a statement and asked a question to "who was this guy". A very innocent statement and question...

Then I got, instead of actually answering my question "Use Google"

Which I did. All I could see was a folk music artist (without spending hours reading articles about it)

Then I get attacked because I don't like folk music (and said "sorry not my kind of music"), and kinda was like "sorry not interested", then proceeded to get lambasted.

Yeah you tick me off, I'm going to give snark back to you. Its how it works with me.

Gee sorry I f'ing asked..

So are we

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:59pm.

> Gee sorry I f'ing asked..

There was information -- in this thread -- that could have easily pointed you to an answer -- if you really wanted one -- rather than merely wanting to show off what a super cool hot shot you are.

The question you asked -- and the way you asked it -- was pretty patently dismissive and obnoxious -- and sounded nothing like a sincere request for information.

I had thought you were older than 13 -- but you know what, at least in this thread, you are coming across like a snotty (youngish) teenager.

Really?

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:01pm.

Uh yeah beg to differ bro...

This is what I asked:

"Am I the only person who doesn't know who this guy is?
Seriously, I don't."

Thats ALL i asked. Where am I obnoxious? Where am I dismissive in that post?

Oh yeah I wasn't until other folks turned to snark, then I turned mine on.

Differ all you want...

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:07pm.

... but my opinion of you today is MUCH lower than it was previously. We'll never meet -- and I'm just a boring old fogie -- so it doesn't matter to you, right.

I am older

By cybah on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:06pm.

Almost 40 to be exact.

yeah and I won't say what you're coming across as....

You needn't bother

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:08pm.

It's pretty obvious.

Not liking someone's music is

By Scratchie on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 1:17pm.

Not liking someone's music is different than being ignorant of one of the seminal cultural figures of 20th century America.

Seeger obituary

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:01pm.

http://www.thenation.com/article/178123/pete-seeger-brought-world-together

Pete Seeger -- Going to Boston

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:04pm.

http://www.folkways.si.edu/TrackDetails.aspx?itemid=28500

Hopefully, I can listen to this tonight (for free) thanks to the Boston Public Library's subscription to the Smithsonain Global Sound Archive (all you need is a library card and a PIN number -- and you too can have access to thousands of hours of world folk music -- for free).

Scott Alarik on Seeger and Boston/Cambridge

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:29pm.

http://wgbhnews.org/post/pete-seeger-had-soft-spot-boston-and-cambridge

At least partial text of this (I think):

http://www.wgbh.org/articles/Q--A-with-Scott-Alarik-on-Pete-Seeger-6154

Seeger's 1980 Singalong at Sanders Theater

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 2:22pm.

More on Pete Seeger in Boston/Cambridge:

http://www.wbur.org/npr/267561680/pete-seeger-and-the-public-choir

Pete Seeger at the Ford Hall Forum in 1967

Comments

Support Universal Hub