Pete Seeger Turns 90

It's hard to believe but Pete Seeger has a birthday coming up, and it's a big one: he will be 90 years old this Sunday, May 3rd. Looking back over Pete's long career, it's difficult to know how to begin talking about the enormous contributions he has made in so many facets of American life. From his unyielding commitment to progressive causes on such a wide range of issues, from race relations, U. S. military interventions abroad, environmentalism and the labor movement, Pete has been out front and on the right side of history. His very early appreciation of what constitutes the essence of American roots music has made Pete a founding father of the movement who knew how to value and help preserve our musical history and traditions that were giving way to the impulses of modernity. Whether it was helping the now legendary musicologist Alan Lomax scour the rural south in search of overlooked blues musicians and folksingers or helping to heighten public awareness of national treasures such as Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Pete's contributions have been invaluable. Since so much information abounds about all Pete's accomplishment, that's all I really have to say, except for this: HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND THANK YOU PETE SEEGER!