Pete Seeger

"I like to sing. I like to make people happy." So spoke Pete Seeger, the tireless American folk troubadour whose five-string banjo and unwavering moral compass shaped popular music and social activism for seven decades. Born into a musical family steeped in classical tradition, Seeger rebelled toward the vernacular—the ballads, work songs, and spirituals of ordinary Americans—and spent his life giving them voice.

From the Weavers' triumphant 1950s hits to his solo career weathering the McCarthy era's blacklisting, Seeger never wavered. He sang for civil rights marchers, anti-war protesters, and environmental movements, transforming folk music into an instrument of conscience. His collaborations with Woody Guthrie and later mentoring of Bob Dylan cemented his role as a guardian of American song. With a banjo in hand and conviction in his heart, he proved that a musician could be both an artist and an activist—that the personal and political were inseparable.