"Any darn fool can make something complex; it takes a genius to make something simple."
I could not turn off a PBS documentary on Pete Seeger's life the other night. It astounded me. Watching his performances gave me the shivers, and made me cry, twice. How could I have not known how incredible he was?
Well, part of it might have been that after his 1957 indictment for contempt of congress (and who doesn't posses a little of that) no one would air his performances, and no one wanted him to sing in their venue. His indictment stemmed from his 1955 testimony before HUAC in which he refused to name personal and political associations stating it would violate his First Amendment rights. (He was a communist until 1950)
"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."
Wikipedia gave me this quote: Jim Musselman (founder of Appleseed Recordings):
"He was one of the few people who invoked the First Amendment in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Everyone else had said the Fifth Amendment, the right against self-incrimination, and then they were dismissed. What Pete did, and what some other very powerful people who had the guts and the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the committee and say, "I'm gonna invoke the First Amendment, the right of freedom of association...." "...I was actually in law school when I read the case of Seeger v. United States, and it really changed my life, because I saw the courage of what he had done and what some other people had done by invoking the First Amendment, saying, "We're all Americans. We can associate with whoever we want to, and it doesn't matter who we associate with."
There was a deliciously ironic result from this "ban" on Pete Seeger's performances. The CIA decided it wouldn't be problematic if he performed for children, just adults. Because children are not full grown people yet, and are stupid anyways. Snotty little children. So Pete Seeger went traveling all across the country teaching children how to play the banjo. As these children grew up, they fueled a folk music revival by forming clubs in their colleges and playing together, and teaching new people to play. As these now 20 somethings were hit with the turmoil of the sixties they used their music to express themselves. And the likes of Bob Dylan, and the rest of the crew, rose in popularity and influence, and remain etched on our national consciousness today. Thanks Pete!
He was allowed back on television in 1967 when the Smothers Brothers asked him to be on their show. He played a fantastic song called Waist Deep in the Big Muddy, and while it wasn't aired on first go round, it was aired when he appeared again later on the show. It gave me chills how the song could easily have been written about Iraq. If you're short on time, try to get to the last three minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENXhShuof1I&feature=related
Aside from his enormous musical contributions, he brought a strong focus to the environment before this was commonplace and popular. He saw that the Hudson was dirty, decided a good way to clean it up might be to build a beautiful historic boat, and throw some concerts along the waterfront. This boat was the Clearwater, and it still takes out school children today.
Pete rocks. And sometimes I get generation envy . . .
Well, part of it might have been that after his 1957 indictment for contempt of congress (and who doesn't posses a little of that) no one would air his performances, and no one wanted him to sing in their venue. His indictment stemmed from his 1955 testimony before HUAC in which he refused to name personal and political associations stating it would violate his First Amendment rights. (He was a communist until 1950)
"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."
Wikipedia gave me this quote: Jim Musselman (founder of Appleseed Recordings):
"He was one of the few people who invoked the First Amendment in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Everyone else had said the Fifth Amendment, the right against self-incrimination, and then they were dismissed. What Pete did, and what some other very powerful people who had the guts and the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the committee and say, "I'm gonna invoke the First Amendment, the right of freedom of association...." "...I was actually in law school when I read the case of Seeger v. United States, and it really changed my life, because I saw the courage of what he had done and what some other people had done by invoking the First Amendment, saying, "We're all Americans. We can associate with whoever we want to, and it doesn't matter who we associate with."
There was a deliciously ironic result from this "ban" on Pete Seeger's performances. The CIA decided it wouldn't be problematic if he performed for children, just adults. Because children are not full grown people yet, and are stupid anyways. Snotty little children. So Pete Seeger went traveling all across the country teaching children how to play the banjo. As these children grew up, they fueled a folk music revival by forming clubs in their colleges and playing together, and teaching new people to play. As these now 20 somethings were hit with the turmoil of the sixties they used their music to express themselves. And the likes of Bob Dylan, and the rest of the crew, rose in popularity and influence, and remain etched on our national consciousness today. Thanks Pete!
He was allowed back on television in 1967 when the Smothers Brothers asked him to be on their show. He played a fantastic song called Waist Deep in the Big Muddy, and while it wasn't aired on first go round, it was aired when he appeared again later on the show. It gave me chills how the song could easily have been written about Iraq. If you're short on time, try to get to the last three minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENXhShuof1I&feature=related
Aside from his enormous musical contributions, he brought a strong focus to the environment before this was commonplace and popular. He saw that the Hudson was dirty, decided a good way to clean it up might be to build a beautiful historic boat, and throw some concerts along the waterfront. This boat was the Clearwater, and it still takes out school children today.
Pete rocks. And sometimes I get generation envy . . .