Pete Seeger, iconic folk and protest singer, dies at 94

Pete Seeger, the folk singer and social justice advocate who popularized "We Shall Overcome" as an anthem of the Civil Rights movement, wrote "Turn! Turn Turn!" and whose career spanned more than 7 decades, has died. He was 94.

Bruce Springsteen called him "the father of American folk music." In a concert at Madison Square Garden celebrating Seeger's 90th birthday, Springsteen introduced him by saying "he's gonna look a lot like your granddad that wears flannel shirts and funny hats. He's gonna look like your granddad if your granddad can kick your ass. At 90, he remains a stealth dagger through the heart of our country's illusions about itself."

Seeger was a 1939 Harvard dropout who scored hits with the Weavers and was a compadre of Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly in the 1940s. He became a political hero for his refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s and his roles in the '60s civil-rights and antiwar movements, and he has served as an iconic, banjo playing grandfather figure to the folk community for as long as anyone can remember.

In 1998, he told the Inquirer that he didn't like think of himself as having a "career."

``That word implies seeking fame and fortune,'' the co-writer of "If I Had A Hammer" and "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" said at the time of the release of atribute album named after the latter on West Chester's Appleseed Recordings, which was his label for almost two decades.  ``I've just got jobs to do. My main purpose as a musician is to put songs on people's lips, not just in their ear''

Seeger made music of unflagging optimism, often singing for children. Songs associated with him like "Old Dan Tucker" were the basis for Springsteen's 2006 album, The Seeger Sesions.

"People often say to me, `Don't you get discouraged? Are you some kind of pollyanna?' '' Seeger, who frequently broke out into song during interviews, told the Inquirer. ``I tell them that I say `the hell with it' every night around 9:30, then I get up the next morning. Besides, if you sing for children, you can't really say there's no hope.''

Read social media reaction and watch Seeger videos on The Talk by Dan Rubin

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