© 2024 KLCC

KLCC
136 W 8th Ave
Eugene OR 97401
541-463-6000
klcc@klcc.org

Contact Us

FCC Applications
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sing Out: A Concert Celebration Of Pete Seeger

Justin Sullivan
/
Getty Images

Pete Seeger was a lanky banjo player who showed up at every rally, every singalong, every town meeting, for as long as anyone could remember. He came singing songs of dissent; songs that helped to find the courage to change.

Legions of these songs now echo down through decades of strife and protest. Their messages were straightforward: Organize a union for better working conditions, fight for civil rights, fight against prejudice, find an alternative to war and protect the environment. Seeger — who died Monday at 94 — wrote, found or was handed many of the songs that would give voice to these causes.

This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender.

In some circles, Pete Seeger's voice and banjo were seen as dangerous weapons, sowing seeds of anarchy and violence. Spending a career on the front lines of social protest meant that Seeger also had a career filled with controversy, criticism and even blacklisting.

Back in 2005, I hosted this special, which includes interviews with Seeger and the many he has influenced. Included are concert performances by the legendary American folk icon himself, as well as Holly Near, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Bruce Cockburn, Janis Ian, Natalie Merchant, Judy Collins and more. The concert was recorded at the Keswick Theatre in Philadelphia.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.