Folk Hero Pete Seeger Dies

Folk Hero Pete Seeger has died at the age of 94.

Pete Seeger began his career as a radio broadcaster back in the 1940's until he realized that you don't make any money in radio. He then turned his focus to writing and recording songs with his group, The Weavers and had a string of hit records with that group, igniting the "folk boom" of the 1960's, which paved the way for the likes of Peter, Paul and Mary and Jefferson Airplane.

Pete also recorded several other folk songs and is credited with popularizing the song, We Shall Overcome, which was adopted as an anthem of the civil rights movement in the 1960's. He also admitted that he changed the song a little bit to make it more singable. The original lyric was "We will overcome" and he switched it to "We shall overcome". My favorite piece of Pete Seeger work? He was the first to put music to the Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3. The music world knows it as Turn! Turn! Turn! The most well known version (other than the one found in the Bible) was recorded by The Byrds and turned into an international number one hit.

An activist all his life, Pete was still going strong at The Clearwater Concert in 2009 to celebrate his 90th birthday with friends Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen, Arlo Guthrie and John Mellencamp. He even co-wrote and recorded a song in 2010 commenting on the Deepwater Horizon explosion and disaster that spilled millions and millions and millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Pete took part in the Occupy Wall Street Movement, wrote a book about his life, recorded 48 albums as well as inspired and influenced countless others leaving behind a legacy that is likely unmatched.

Pete Seeger died Monday in New York City at the age of 94.