photo by David Landy / Winnipeg Free Press
Pete Seeger died early Monday morning at the age of 94. A tireless crusader for social justice, and an inspiration to countless musicians and social activists, Seeger will be missed and mourned by many. His positive attitude and ceaseless struggle against oppression in all forms, and his commitment to folk music will be remembered for years.
Thousands of obituaries and memorials are flooding the internet following the sad news. So we’ll just leave you with this beautiful photo from David Landry and the Free Press, of Seeger at the 1980 Winnipeg Folk Festival, and the words of fellow folk singing troubadour and Times Change(d) favourite Jonathan Byrd:
Pete Seeger was bigger than music. He was John Henry. He was Odysseus. He was Gabriel. He will not be contained in a thousand obituaries today, however hard we write. He will not be complete in the history books. When I met him he was a deaf old man who hardly seemed capable of half his legend, but I asked the right question and he told me his secret. When I think of him now, it’s the only thing I really know about him:
When a thing seemed impossible, he saw that it was only difficult. Then he worked until it was inevitable.
RIP, Mr Seeger, from all of us who travel the Hillbilly Highway. – SB