Seger changed the verses of the song but kept the chorus the same. He mentored the young musician during his watershed performances at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island in 1963, 19.įrom 1950 to 1955, the Weavers charted 11 singles, most of them traditional folk songs the band helped to revive, and as a solo act Seeger appeared on the chart in 1964 with the song “Little Boxes.” His impact was even greater as a songwriter and arranger, contributing “If I Had a Hammer,” which was a charting song for Peter, Paul & Mary and Trini Lopez the Byrds’ hit “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” which charted for several performers. I told him that was Bob Seger, no relation to Pete Seeger. Proceeds from sales of the track will go to Amnesty International.Īs a performer, songwriter, activist, member of the Almanac Singers and the Weavers folk groups and an associate of Woody Guthrie, Seeger played an important role in Dylan’s early career. The effort, dubbed “Forever Pete,” has generated a website, a Twitter feed, and a Facebook page. Seeger was a mentor to younger folk and topical singers in the ‘50s and ‘60s, among them Bob Dylan, Don McLean and Bernice Johnson Reagon, who founded Sweet Honey in the Rock. Ye Playboys and Playgirls, an EP by Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger / Joan Baez / Pete Seeger. Along with the new video, a grassroots campaign has begun to spur download sales of the track in hopes of getting Seeger back into the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which would make him the oldest person ever to appear on the Billboard chart. Pete Seeger died in a New York City hospital on January 27, 2014, at the age of 94. The singer, banjo player and songwriter Pete Seeger, who has died aged 94, popularised folksong performance during the 1940s and 50s and was a key figure in the folk revival from the 60s.

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