Peter Seeger

Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014)

He was a folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead Belly's "Goodnight, Irene", which topped the charts for 13 weeks in 1950. Members of the Weavers were blacklisted during the McCarthy Era. In the 1960s, Seeger re-emerged on the public scene as a prominent singer of protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights, counterculture, and environmental causes. A prolific songwriter, his best-known songs include "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" (with Joe Hickerson), "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)" (with Lee Hays of the Weavers), and "Turn! Turn! Turn!", which have been recorded by many artists both in and outside the folk revival movement. "Flowers" was a hit recording for the Kingston Trio (1962).

In addition, Seeger was one of the folk singers responsible for popularizing the spiritual "We Shall Overcome". He was a prominent figure in protests over the Vietnam War, and appeared at many Peace rallies. In 1993, he was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and in 1994, he received the Presidential Medal of the Arts, as well as a Kennedy Award. In 1996, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence and later that year, he released his first new studio album in 17 years. He remained engaged politically and maintained an active lifestyle in the Hudson Valley region of New York throughout his life. He was married from 1943 until his wife Toshi's death in 2013, they had four children. Seeger died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City on January 27, 2014, at the age of 94.