Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Listen to the Pete Seeger Special on The Paul Leslie Hour (Part 1 of 2)


On this episode we celebrate over 9 years since the first broadcast. Our special guest is a folksinger, songwriter, banjoist, recording artist and legend --Pete Seeger. Born in 1919, Pete Seeger met and performed with folksinger Woody Guthrie in 1940. Soon, Pete Seeger was inspired to write his own songs. In 1948, Pete Seeger formed the folk group The Weavers and the group sold 4 million record copies. They helped popularize Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," into the beloved song we know today. They recorded a version of Leadbelly's "Good Night Irene" that topped the chart for six months.
When the folk boom of the early sixties took place, groups like The Kingston Trio, the Byrds and Peter, Paul and Mary had hits with Pete Seeger songs like "If I Had a Hammer," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" and "Turn, Turn, Turn." Pete Seeger has definitely made his mark on the world. He has earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Harvard Arts Medal, the Kennedy Center Award, The Presidential Medal of the Arts, Two Grammys, and membership in both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many would say that Pete Seeger is arguably the most important living American folk musician. He continues to record and perform occasionally. Throughout his 70 year career he has recorded dozens of albums and influenced everyone from Don McLean to Bruce Springsteen. His songs have been recorded and performed by everyone from Harry Belafonte, Joan Baez, Roy Orbison, Bobby Darin, Dolly Parton, Judy Collins, Johnny Rivers, and hundreds of others. It is an extreme honor to present an interview with Pete Seeger along with musical selections.

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