LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Pete Seeger, celebrated
folk music troubadour and activist

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and pay just
tribute to those musical geniuses whose commitment and creative talents
contributed to the enrichment of their community and the world and to
pay homage to a man whose life of activism and accomplishment stands as
an inspiration to others; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved this day to memorialize the
purposeful life and career of Pete Seeger of Beacon, New York, a promi-
nent figure in the history of folk music and renowned activist who died
on Monday, January 27, 2014, at the age of 94; and
WHEREAS, Born on May 3, 1919, in New York, New York, to Charles and
Constance Seeger, young Pete began playing the ukulele while attending
boarding school; and
WHEREAS, In 1936, his life was changed forever when he heard the five-
string banjo for the first time at the Folk Song and Dance Festival in
Asheville, North Carolina, ultimately becoming his main instrument; he
also went on to learn the six-string guitar, 12-string guitar, and the
recorder; and
WHEREAS, After briefly attending Harvard University in 1938, where he
discovered politics and helped found a student newspaper, THE HARVARD
PROGRESSIVE, Seeger decided to move to Washington, D.C., where he took a
job with the Archives of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress
and learned much of the music that he would perform around the world
throughout his storied career; and
WHEREAS, Pete Seeger was drafted into the United States Army in 1942,
and served honorably in the Pacific where he was trained as an airplane
mechanic; he was then reassigned to provide much needed entertainment to
the American troops with music serving three and a half years in the
Special Services and achieving the rank of Corporal; and
WHEREAS, On July 20, 1943, Pete Seeger married Toshi-Aline Ohta, his
wife of 69 years, until her passing in 2013; and
WHEREAS, In 1949, Pete and Toshi Seeger purchased a plot of land near
Beacon, New York, where together, they built their own home, a log
cabin; and
WHEREAS, Pete Seeger and Lee Hays co-wrote "If I Had a Hammer," one of
the most optimistic paeans to the possibilities of constructive social
change; other internationally known songs he co-wrote include "Where
Have All the Flowers Gone" and "Turn, Turn, Turn"; and
WHEREAS, By 1950, the duo, along with Fred Hellerman and Ronnie
Gilbert, formed the Weavers, and enjoyed instant success with highly
sweetened versions of "Goodnight Irene" and other folk tunes; and
WHEREAS, Pete Seeger stood steadfast in his beliefs even when the
expression of his views posed a threat to his personal freedom; and
WHEREAS, On August 14, 1955, Pete Seeger was subpoenaed to testify
before the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he refused to
plead his Fifth Amendment Right and instead asserted his First Amendment
Right not to speak on the grounds that no American should be forced to
answer any questions regarding his philosophical, political, and reli-
gious beliefs and associations; and
WHEREAS, On July 26, 1956, the House of Representatives voted 373 to 9
to cite Pete Seeger and seven others for contempt of Congress; in March
of 1961, he was sentenced to ten 1-year terms in jail to be served
simultaneously, and finally in May of 1962, an appeals court ruled the
indictment to be flawed and overturned his conviction after he spent
four hours behind bars; and

WHEREAS, Pete Seeger was also an outspoken activist, promoting civil
rights, social justice, peace and disarmament, and an awareness of our
environment; his rendition of "We Shall Overcome" became the anthem of
the Civil Rights Movement; and
WHEREAS, Pete and Toshi Seeger marched in the historic voting rights
marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in March of 1965; and
WHEREAS, In 1966, Pete and Toshi Seeger founded Hudson River Sloop
Clearwater, Inc., a world renowned educational vessel which inspired the
cleanup of the Hudson River, located in Beacon, New York, along with the
Great Hudson River Revival, an annual music and environmental festival
that takes place at Croton Point Park in Croton, New York; and
WHEREAS, Pete Seeger founded and regularly participated in the Beacon
Sloop Club, Beacon, New York, and equipped it with their flagship sloop,
The Woody Guthrie, which offers free educational sailing trips on the
Hudson River; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Pete Seeger performed at the Hoot Festival at
the Ashokan Center to raise money for children to participate in the
Ashokan Education program; he sang at the Walkway Over the Hudson Gala
ceremony; performed with his half-sister, Peggy Seeger, in Woodstock to
benefit the Woodstock Byrdcliffe; and was a Special Guest at "Journey to
Freedom", a concert for the benefit of the group Save Them Now which is
a Kingston religion-based group that provides housing and rehabilitation
for nonviolent ex-convicts and recovering drug/alcohol addicts; and
WHEREAS, Pete Seeger enjoyed visits to Beacon elementary school class-
es to teach children how songs can be used to make positive change,
which fostered the Emmy Award winning CD "Tomorrow's Children" with the
"Rivertown Kids"; and
WHEREAS, This noted musician has received many awards and medals, some
of which include: the National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center Honor,
Harvard Arts Medal, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, and the George
Peabody Medal, and in 1996, Pete Seeger was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame; he also received several Grammys, including a Grammy
Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993; and
WHEREAS, In 2009, Pete Seeger was proud and honored to perform "This
Land Is Your Land" with Bruce Springsteen and his grandson, Tao Rodri-
guez-Seeger, at the inauguration of President Barack Obama; and
WHEREAS, In addition to working with Woody Gutherie, Pete Seeger
collaborated with countless other musical icons including Bob Dylan,
Joan Baez, the Stanley Brothers, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson,
Reverend Gary Davis, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John
.SO DOC A R962 RESO TEXT 2013
Mellencamp and Dave Matthews; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his wife, Toshi Seeger, Pete Seeger is prede-
ceased by his half-brother Mike; he is survived by his son, Daniel; two
daughters, Mika and Tinya; and his half-sister, Peggy; as well as six
grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Pete Seeger inspired whole generations of folk and popular
artists and imbued in them a sense of social responsibility, political
activism and environmental awareness; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to remember the
life and accomplishments of legendary musicians such as Pete Seeger,
whose illustrious career was spent championing folk music as both a
vital heritage and a catalyst for social change; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Pete Seeger, and to express its deepest condolences
to his family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Pete Seeger.