Fred Hellerman, Last of the Weavers Folk Group, Dies at 89

The New York Times ^ | September 2, 2016 | William Grimes

[EveningStar]

Fred Hellerman, a singer, guitarist and songwriter and the last surviving member of the Weavers, the quartet that in the 1950s helped usher in the folk music revival, died on Thursday at his home in Weston, Conn. He was 89...

With songs like “If I Had a Hammer,” “Goodnight Irene” and “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine,” the Weavers brought folk music to a mass audience, paving the way for singers like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary, who galvanized a young, politically conscious audience in the 1960s.

Mr. Hellerman’s mellow baritone, rock-steady guitar and songwriting talent made him a pillar of the group, whose other members were Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Ronnie Gilbert. Mr. Hays died in 1981, Mr. Seeger in 2014 and Ms. Gilbert in 2015...

After Mr. Seeger was labeled a Communist by the influential publication “Red Channels in 1952, and an F.B.I. informant made the same charge against Mr. Hellerman and Ms. Gilbert, it became impossible for the group to perform on radio and television, or at most concert halls...

[EveningStar]

Fred Hellerman

The Weavers

[EveningStar]

ping

[AU72]

The Red Chorus.

[MUDDOG]

“If I Had a Hammer”

The Weavers wanted hammer and sickle.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I’d hammer out this... I’d hammer out that...

Always missing the irony. That can’t ever work. God didn’t make humanity that way.

[Ray76]

Now he’s a good commie... dead.

[Jim Noble]

For the coffin:

[Pelham]

“In 1936, at the age of 17, Pete Seeger joined the Young Communist League (YCL), then at the height of its popularity and influence. In 1942 he became a member of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) itself, but left in 1949.”

[proust]

“Mr. Seeger was labeled a Communist”

He earned and wore that label proudly.

[MUDDOG]

Yep, you don’t get “Love between my brothers and my sisters” by hammering.

[ETL]

"We Are One" The Obama Inaugural
Celebration At The Lincoln Memorial

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/4Jfw6fON_zH/One+Obama+Inaugural+Celebration+Lincoln+Memorial/1NNi5cTZF2d/Bruce+Springsteen
__________________________________________________________________________

From David Horowitz's FrontPageMag.com/DiscoverTheNetwork.org:
Profile: PETE SEEGER

*Musician, folksinger, songwriter, and political activist

*Joined the Communist Party in 1942

*"I'm still a Communist" -- Pete Seeger, 2004

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1619
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

NYT Writer Corrects Record: Pete Seeger 'Only' 40 Years Late in Denouncing Stalin
By P.J. Gladnick
2007-09-02

The New York Times has now corrected [1] a "smear" about Pete Seeger being 50 years too late in denouncing Stalin. Thanks to the intrepid research of Times reporter Daniel J. Wakin, the record has now been set straight. Pete Seeger was only about 40 years too late in criticizing Stalin.

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2007/09/02/ny-times-writer-corrects-record-pete-seeger-only-40-years-late-denounc
__________________________________________________________________________

"Seeger was antiwar during the period of the Nazi-Soviet Pact; pro-war after the Soviet Union was the ally of the United States; and anti-war during the years of the Cold War and Vietnam. To Nichols -a rather dense left-winger -it is good form to acknowledge that perhaps 'Stalin was a bad guy,' and then simply get over it, and move on to campaign for very American socialist causes." --Ronald Radosh (former communist)

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=01133F31-CE9A-40BC-B797-47CBB0023EF4

*******************************************************************

"...at the time of the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the Communists suddenly transformed the 'Anti-Nazi League' into the "Hollywood Peace Forum," calling for American neutrality and using the slogan 'Let's Skip the Next War.'..."
--Ronald Radosh, from his book, Red Star Over Hollywood: The Film Colony's Long Romance With the Left

http://web.archive.org/web/20061018205639/http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4251

[jiggyboy]

“was labeled” = Let’s pretend that the wikipedia excerpt above that explicitly mentions actual membership, doesn’t exist.

[HiTech RedNeck]

But it did encapsulate the “liberal” view point quite beautifully. Why has there been so little comment about that detail in the public discussion sphere?

To be fair, while the McCarthy system suppressed these folks for a while, its continued success depended on long term allegiance to that system. Some of the accusations made in that system were hard to prove at the time, if ever. A system that damns the bad but does not praise the good, is a system that is going to fall under its own “hammers” sooner or later.

[Mr Rogers]

From Wiki:

“In 1940 and 1941, Hays and Seeger had co-founded a previous group, the Almanac Singers, which had promoted peace and isolationism during the Second World War, working with the American Peace Mobilization. It featured many songs opposing entry into the war by the U.S. In June 1941, the same month Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the APC changed its name to the American People’s Committee and altered its focus to supporting U.S. entry into the war. The Almanacs supported the change and produced many pro-war songs urging the U.S. to fight on the side of the Allies.”

Not much doubt who they REALLY supported. Hitler was OK, until he attacked the USSR & Stalin. I don’t care about what happened in the 50s. What happened in the 40s is proof enough, and they never recanted their evil.

[ETL]

Earth Day, April 22, 1970:
"The nationwide event included opposition to the Vietnam War on the agenda, but this was thought to detract for the environmental message.
Pete Seeger was a keynote speaker and performer at the event held in Washington DC."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day#Earth_Day_1970
____________________________________________________

"Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970.[1]"

[1] http://earthday.envirolink.org/history.html
____________________________________________________

"... on April 22, 1970, [the very first] Earth Day was held, one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy... "
--American Heritage Magazine, October 1993
____________________________________________________

Vladimir Lenin
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
In office: November 8, 1917 - January 21, 1924

Born April 22, 1870
Died January 21, 1924
Political party Bolshevik Party
Profession Politician, revolutionary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Lenin
____________________________________________________

The very first Earth Day on Lenin's 100th birthday? --yeah, it's a "coincidence". LOL!

[bigbob]

at least we knew what HE was...

RIP anyway, 89 years is a pretty good run.

[left that other site]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAiA7OuBPcA

[Huskrrrr]

RIP. Good music, idiotic loyalties.

[DiogenesLamp]

Loved some of their songs. Hated their communism.

[laplata]

Not much doubt who they REALLY supported. Hitler was OK, until he attacked the USSR & Stalin.

---

Thanks for pointing that out. I remind people of that fact.