A Tribute to. Pete Seeger. Sunday, October 19

Transcription

1 A Tribute to Pete Seeger Sunday, October 19 The Hamilton, Washington, DC

2 THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE PETE SEEGER TRIBUTE CONCERT AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION Lawrence J. Hanley, International President Javier M. Perez, Jr., International Executive Vice President Oscar Owens, International Secretary-Treasurer

3 Pete Seeger For more than seven decades Pete Seeger lent his voice, long-neck banjo, and 12-string guitar to every great social movement of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Singing for the labor movement in the 1940s and 1950s, for civil rights marches and anti-vietnam War rallies in the 1960s, and for environmental and antiwar causes in the late 60s, 70s and beyond, his support for popular movements never waivered, and he never strayed from his activism. One of the most beloved musical artists and activists of all time, Pete believed in the power of song and in the power of people singing together to build a better world. With Woody Guthrie and the Almanac Singers, Pete played in hundreds of union halls and at political rallies across the U.S. Later, with the Weavers, Pete and the band enjoyed great popularity and a string of hits, like Follow the Drinking Gourd, Kisses Sweeter than Wine, Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Wimoweh, Midnight Special and Lead Belly s Goodnight Irene. They recorded songs that became crowd favorites like, If I Had A Hammer. Other artists recorded Pete s songs as well. Peter, Paul and Mary had hits with If I Had A Hammer and Where Have All The Flowers Gone, and the Byrds with Turn, Turn, Turn. To illustrate Pete s role in the folk process, We Shall Overcome, adapted from an old spiritual, became a civil rights anthem. Based on a hymn striking tobacco workers sang on a picket line in South Carolina, Zilphia Horton of the Highlander Folk School heard Lucille Simmons, one of the workers, sing a slow version, We Will Overcome. Zilphia taught the song to Pete, and it was published in the People s Songs newsletter. Pete changed We will to We shall and added verses, like We ll walk hand in hand. Pete taught the song Realize that little things lead to bigger things. Who knows where some good little thing that you ve done may bring results years later that you never dreamed of? to Guy Carawan, at Highlander in the 50s, and Guy later taught the song to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee at its founding convention. Pete s musical career took an unexpected turn when he stood up to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) using the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment as his defense. The infamous blacklist destroyed his musical career so Pete sang where he could in churches, schools, summer camps, and community centers igniting a folk music revival in the early 60s and inspiring new generations of activists. Released in 1963, Pete s album, We Shall Overcome, Live at Carnegie Hall, remains a classic. Bruce Springsteen recently had a hit album, The Seeger Sessions, recording many of the folk songs Pete popularized over the years. In late 1960s, before the first Earth Day, Pete began his fight to save the Hudson River from pollution. Through benefit concerts he raised money to build the Clearwater, a 106-foot sloop, launched in 1969 with a crew of musicians. The ship became a symbol and a rallying point for antipollution efforts and

4 The key to the future of the world, is finding the optimistic stories and letting them be known. education. Pete and his wife, Toshi, were active organizers of the annual Clearwater Festival on the banks of the Hudson. In 2009, after decades of litigation and environmental activism led by the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Pete s environmental organization General Electric began dredging to remove sediment containing PCBs it had dumped into the river. In 1994, President Clinton awarded Pete a Kennedy Center Honor the nation s highest artistic award. Pete was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, where he led a sing-along of Goodnight, Irene, flanked by Stevie Wonder, David Byrne and members of the Jefferson Airplane. At the ceremony, Arlo Guthrie mentioned that the Weavers hit Goodnight, Irene had reached No. 1, only to add, I can t think of a single event in Pete s life that is probably less important to him. Pete won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in 1996, and again in 1997 for his Living Music recording Pete. In 1999 he traveled to Cuba to accept the Felix Varela Medal, that nation s highest honor for humanistic and artistic work in defense of the environment and against racism. In 2000, the Library of Congress named Pete one of America s Living Legends. He won another Grammy in 2008 for his Appleseed Recording, Pete Seeger: At 89, and again in 2011 for his album Tomorrow s Children. Chosen to perform at the 2009 concert preceeding the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Pete sang all the verses to Woody Guthrie s iconic This Land is Your Land. He celebrated his 90th birthday on May 3, 2009, at a sold-out concert in New York s Madison Square Garden. Pete s Pomegranate Theory, as he described it, was that big things, big organizations, won t save the world, because when things get big they become compromised and corrupted. Millions of little things, like all the little seeds in a pomegranate, will save the world. When Amy Goodman on Democracy Now asked what advice he might offer to younger artists, Pete replied: Realize that little things lead to bigger things. That s what Seeds is all about. There s a wonderful parable in the New Testament: The sower scatters seeds. Some seeds fall in the pathway and get stamped on, and they don t grow. Some fall on the rocks, and they don t grow. But some seeds fall on fallow ground, and they grow and multiply a thousand-fold. Who knows where some good little thing that you ve done may bring results years later that you never dreamed of? No tribute to Pete would be complete without a mention of Toshi Seeger. He wrote: Thanks to my wife Toshi, without whom the world would not turn nor the sun shine. With Pete through it all, they lived lives of integrity, honesty, and love. Sadly, Toshi Seeger passed away on July 9, 2013, just 11 days before they could celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. On January 27, 2014, at the age of 94, Pete departed the Earth he loved. Even though he is gone, Pete lives on through his music it s hard to imagine a sound track for America without Pete Seeger.

5 The two-time Grammy Award-winning duo are a formidable powerhouse of sound, with a repertoire of traditional and contemporary folk, old-time country and swing music. Their superb harmonies are backed by instrumental virtuosity on the acoustic & electric guitar, five-string banjo, mandolin, cello banjo and ukulele. They performed with Pete numerous times at festivals and concerts over the past 25 years. They recorded together on the Grammy-winning cellabration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins CD. Cathy s banjo music was used as background for the Pete Remembers Woody recording. On their last visit, Pete and Marcy worked on a song together. Pete made this comment after watching the duo perform in the early days of Merlefest in North Carolina, You girls do so well in this bastion of male supremacy! Sarah R. Coates They were 2006 Grand Prize Winners in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for the song, Scat Like That. In 2006 the C.F. Martin Company honored Cathy & Marcy s musical achievements by creating a signature guitar for each of them, the M3H Cathy Fink Custom Signature Edition and the MC3H Marcy Marxer Custom Signature Edition. You girls do so well in this bastion of male supremacy! Pete Seeger, talking to Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer in the early days of Merlefest in North Carolina

6 Emma s Revolution Smart, funny and informative like Rachel Maddow and Jon Stewart with guitars. Emma s Revolution is the duo of Washington-DC-based, award-winning activist songwriters and musicians, Pat Humphries and Sandy O. A motivating force in concerts and demonstrations, Emma s Revolution s songs have been sung for the Dalai Lama, praised by Pete Seeger and recorded by Holly Near. The duo s awards include Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and, for two years in a row, the Washington Area Music Association s Fan Favorite Award. Emma s Revolution s songs have been an integral part of justice movements for 30 years and the duo tours 200 days a year, bringing their uprising of truth, hope and a dash of irreverence to thousands of events across the U.S. and abroad. the powers that be can control the media, but it s hard to stop a good song Pat s songs will be sung well into the 22nd Century. Pete Seeger Pete Seeger was a friend and mentor to Emma s Revolution, and especially to Pat. In an NPR All Things Considered feature on Pat s song, Swimming to the Other Side, Pete said, The powers that be can control the media, but it s hard to stop a good song Pat s songs will be sung well into the 22nd Century. Pat was with the Seeger family and a small group of friends when Pete passed, singing him home to Toshi. Emma s Revolution later wrote their song Sing People Sing in tribute to Pete. It is an honor and a powerful responsibility to be part of the many who will carry on Pete and Toshi s work for peace and justice through music.

7 The U-Liners Formed in 2003 The U-Liners play the best in roots rock music and songs of our time: Americana, country, folk, rock and roll, soul, bluegrass and everything mixed into a cool groove. Joe Uehlein knew and worked with Pete Seeger for more than 35 years. They performed together on several occasions and founded two organizations together. The U-Liners played the Birchmere with Pete in Woody Guthrie meets Jerry Garcia meets Merle Haggard! A Fan The U-Liners include award-winning musicians, and the band was voted among the top three bands in the region by the fans in the Washington Area Music Association. The U-Liners have played all of DC s finest venues including the Hamilton, the Birchmere, IOTA Club, Jammin Java, Madam s Organ, New Deal Cafe, the Black Cat, Howard Theater, Silver Theater, Quarry House, Strathmore, and many others. Joe and the band has performed with Tom Morello, Boots Riley, Pete Seeger, Billy Bragg, Melvin Seals & JGB, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. A specialty of this group includes songs of work, hope, peace, justice, and the environment. This comes from the band s belief that we can make the world a better place through music and activism. Sounds like an urban country band; feels like Jefferson Airplane! John Kadlecik, the John K Band, and Further Wonderful acoustic alchemy! A Fan

8 Josh White, Jr. is marking the 70th year of his storied career, as a celebrated performer, Grammy nominated recording artist of folk, blues, spirituals, jazz and songs of social conscience, a TONY Award winning actor, an educator, humanitarian and social activist. Josh White, Jr. His father, the legendary Josh White, pioneered the blues, spirituals and protest songs on records, radio, nightclubs, film, Broadway and concert stages around the world in the 1930s and 1940s, with songs such as House of the Rising Sun, Strange Fruit,, One Meatball, The House I Live In, and Nobody Knows You When You re Down and Out. Josh White was a mentor to Pete Seeger in the early 1940s. Within a few years, Josh, Jr., while singing alongside his father, began performing in shows with Pete, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Paul Robeson and Billie Holiday. Branching out on his own in 1961, Josh, Jr. has recorded 25 albums, toured the world s great concert halls, starred in four TV concert specials, and co-founded the teaching program, A Living History. He has sung for presidents, prime ministers, the Pope, the imprisoned and the poorest of the poor, and in 1980, was named the Voice of the Peace Corps and of VISTA. He shared a friendship and more than 100 concert stages with Pete Seeger over the past 70 years, and is honored that Pete recorded one of his songs. Josh White Jr. is a living link to 20th Century African-American history, the history of the blues and to his legacy and inherent responsibility of being an artist-activist. Josh White, Jr. shared a friendship and more than 100 concert stages with Pete Seeger over the past 70 years.

9 My job is to show folks there s a lot of good music in this world, and if used right it may help to save the planet. photo credit: Anthony pepitone

10 The International Longshoremen s Association, AFL-CIO Remembers Pete Seeger A Great Progressive Musical Activist Sunday, October 19, 2014 The Hamilton, Washington, DC Harold Daggett, President Benny Holland, Executive Vice President Stephen Knott, General Vice President Gerald Owens, General Organizer John D. Baker, Assistant General Organizer

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12 The 2 million members of the Service Employees International Union join other members of the progressive movement to remember and honor the life s work of PETE SEEGER Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Folklorist, Labor Activist, Environmentalist, Peace Advocate His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, This was a man. Our universal goal should be to leave a better and more equal world for generations to come. MARY KAY HENRY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT MICHAEL P. FISHMAN INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER KIRK ADAMS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT GERRY HUDSON EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT EILEEN KIRLIN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT VALARIE LONG EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ROCIO SÁENZ EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ml

13 Participation that s what s gonna save the human race. ~ Pete Seeger The Communications Workers of America honors Pete Seeger an artist, an activist, a brother who participated for over 70 years in the struggle for rights and freedom for all working men and women and believed in the power of building a movement for democracy. We are proud to participate in this tribute to a man who meant so much to the labor community and beyond. The Union for the Information Age President Larry Cohen Secretary-Treasurer Annie Hill Chris Shelton, VP District 1 Ed Mooney, VP District 2-13 Judy Dennis, VP District 3 Linda Hinton, VP District 4 Claude Cummings, Jr., VP District 6 Mary Taylor, VP District 7 Laura Reynolds, VP District 9 Bill Bates, VP Telecommunications & Technologies Brooks Sunkett, VP Public, Health Care and Education Workers Jim Joyce, VP NABET-CWA Bernie Lunzer, VP The Newspaper Guild-CWA Jim Clark, VP IUE-CWA Industrial Division Sara Nelson, Int l President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Dan Wasser, Executive Officer, Printing, Publishing and Media Workers Sector Martin O Hanlon, Director, CWA-SCA Canada At-Large Members Madelyn Elder, President, Local 7901 Greg Wynn, President, Local 4100 Nestor Soto, President, Local Carolyn Wade, President, Local 1040

14 Members and Officers of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers In Memory of Pete Seeger Musician, songwriter, activist Thank you for integrating art and activisim in ways that helped unite and inspire people to achieve progressive change. International President R. Thomas Buffenbarger General Secretary-Treasurer Robert Roach, Jr. GENERAL VICE PRESIDENTS Dave Ritchie, Lynn D. Tucker, Jr., Robert Martinez, Jr., Philip J. Gruber, Gary R. Allen, Sito Pantoja, Mark Blondin, Diane Babineaux and Dora Cervantes.

15 Songbird of the labor movement, benevolent warrior for justice, friend to all who toil. AFGE is proud to support the Pete Seeger Tribute concert.

16 Amalgamated Bank is proud to support the Pete Seeger Tribute Concert and the CultureWorks Collective Established in 1923, Amalgamated Bank remains dedicated to the causes of progressive organizations and is proud to be a majority-owned union bank. amalgamatedbank.com

17 THe SOng GOES On PETE SEEGER AFL-CIO

18 T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L B R O T H E R H O O D O F T E A M S T E R S SALUTES PARTICIPANTS IN THE PETE SEEGER TRIBUTE CONCERT ESPECIALLY THOSE PERFORMING: JOSH WHITE JR. CATHY FINK & MARCY MARXER EMMA S REVOLUTION AND JOE UEHLEIN & THE U-LINERS JAMES P. HOFFA General President KEN HALL General Secretary-Treasurer

19 If you want higher wages, let me tell you what to do; You got to talk to the workers in the shop with you; You got to build you a union, got to make it strong, But if you all stick together, now, twon t be long... The 1.6 million members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, salute Pete Seeger American folk singer, activist and friend of Labor We thank Voices for a Sustainable Future for honoring his memory. Lee Saunders President Laura Reyes Secretary-Treasurer

20 Standing up for patients and our communities: nurses continue the fight for mandated minimum RN-to-patient staffing ratios, the proven method to save patient lives. WE salute pete seeger Seminal Musician and Hero of the People

21 Is Pleased to Join In Honoring the Legacy of United Mine Workers of America Pete Seeger A Champion of Worker and Human Rights Whose Immense Musical Talent Indefatigable Spirit And Cheerful Activism Inspired Several Generations Of Working Families Around the World CeCIL e. RObeRTS International President DAnIeL J. KAne International Secretary-Treasurer

22 SALUTES Voices for A Sustainable Future For paying tribute to the great, progressive musical activist Pete Seeger His voice has inspired others to change the world. Joseph J. Nigro General President Joseph Sellers, Jr. General Secretary-Treasurer General Vice Presidents Bruce W. Word, Ronald H. Whatley, David C. Zimmermann, Mark Curtis, Patrick C. Landgraf, Derek Evans, Joseph P. Powell, Norman L. Whiteman, John Helak, Arthur B. Tolentino, Rocco Terranova, John Previsich, John Lesniewski, John J. Risch III, David Wier, Troy Johnson and John England International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

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24 The BlueGreen Alliance is proud to celebrate the life and works of Pete Seeger a true inspiration for us all. The BlueGreen Alliance was founded on the belief that we do not have to choose between good jobs and a clean environment. We can and must have both. And, a better future will be acheived for all of us by union members and environmentalists working together. Join our growing movement at Also, we invite you to join us in Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2015 for the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference. Registration will open soon at

25 The ILWU salutes Pete Seeger Labor s troubadour Pete Seeger was a friend of the ILWU and champion of the labor movement. We will miss him. Robert McEllrath President Wesley Furtado Vice President Ray Familathe Vice President Willie Adams Secretary-Treasurer THE BALLAD OF HARRY BRIDGES -by Pete Seeger Let me tell you of a sailor, Harry Bridges is his name, An honest union leader whom the bosses tried to frame, He left home in Australia, to sail the seas around, He sailed across the ocean to land in Frisco town. There was only a company union, the bosses had their way. A worker had to stand in line for a lousy dollar a day. When up spoke Harry Bridges, "Us workers got to get wise. Our wives and kids will starve to death if we don t get organized." CHORUS Oh, the FBI is worried, the bosses they are scared They can t deport six million men they know. And we re not going to let them send Harry over the seas. We ll fight for Harry Bridges and build the CIO. They built a big bonfire by the Matson Line that night. They threw their fink books in it and they said we re going to fight. You ve got to pay a living wage or we re going to take a walk. They told it to the bosses but the bosses wouldn t talk. They said there s only one way left to get that contract signed. And all around the waterfront they threw their picket line. They called it Bloody Thursday, the fifth day of July, Four hundred men were wounded and two were left to die. Now that was seven years ago and in the time since then Harry s organized thousands more and made them union men. "We must try to bribe him," the shipping bosses said, "And if he won t accept the bribe, we ll say that he s a red." The bosses brought a trial to deport him over the seas, But the judge said, "He s a honest man, I got to set him free," Then they brought another trial to frame him if they can. But right by Harry Bridges stands every working man.

26 Pete Seeger Pioneer Legend Supporter of the Rank and File Thank you for sharing your gifts and inspiring us all. From way up here the Earth looks very small. Pete Seeger Utility Workers Union of America D. Michael Langford President Steven VanSlooten Executive Vice President We are proud to have counted Pete Seeger among our supporters and are honored to be part of this celebration. His music continues to inspire as we work together for a just, peaceful, and sustainable world. ucsusa.org John Duffy Vice President Gary M. Ruffner Secretary-Treasurer

27 One blue sky above us, one ocean lapping all our shore One earth so green and round, who could ask for more? Pete Seeger My Rainbow Race Thanks to Pete Seeger, a true friend and steward of our planet. In honor of Dan and Bunny Gabel

28 In Memory of Labor s Troubadour IPS Salutes Pete Seeger for more than Seven Decades of Musical Activism Pete Seeger IPS is a community of public scholars and organizers linking peace, justice, and the environment in the U.S. and globally. We work with social movements to promote true democracy and challenge concentrated wealth, corporate influence, and military power. Paul E. Almeida President Department for Professional Employees, AFL CIO

29 Thanks Pete for your lifetime of support for freedom of conscience and the First Amendment. the legacy of music celebrating our freedoms lives on - ANI DIFRANCO, DAVID WILCOX AND MELISSA FERRICK NOV. 17, 2014 THE LINCOLN THEATRE WASHINGTON, DC TICKETS - bit.ly/dcdifranco

30 Celebrating Pete Seeger! DC Jobs with Justice (DC JWJ) is a dynamic coalition of labor organizations, community groups, faithbased organizations, and student groups dedicated to protecting the rights of working people and supporting community struggles to Proud sponsor of the DC LaborFest, showcasing labor films, theater, history, poetry, books, music and art. build a more just society. (Visit: Pete Seeger, Presente! Latest local labor news and updates at or follow us on

31 Robert van Waarden Survival Media Agency

32 Dedicated to integrating art and activism in ways that unite and inspire people to achieve progressive change. Making A Living On A Living Planet We are not afraid, We are not afraid today from We Shall Overcome Remembering Pete Seeger who always stood up, never backed down, and inspired millions to find their own courage through his songs. Moving people by design Proud members of the Columbia Typographical Union, No , CWA Program design: GO! Creative, llc,