Pete Seeger, Folk Legend & FBI Target: Declassified Docs Show Iconic Singer Was Spied on for Decades

The late folk artist Pete Seeger was a musical and political icon who helped create the modern American folk music movement. Now there’s some new pages to add to his songbook-the government has released nearly 1,800 pages that reveal the FBI spied on him for nearly 30 years. The surveillance began when Seeger protested the targeting of Japanese Americans during World War II. It continued until the early 1970s as he wrote some of the most famous anti-war songs of the 20th century. We are joined by Pete Seeger’s biographer, David King Dunaway.
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Пікірлер: 41

  • @kathcasey2090
    @kathcasey20908 жыл бұрын

    Music is universal and its reach powerful. John Lennon was also under CIA/FBI and many other acronyms' surveillance. Because these artists were the "every man", governments were leery of their ability to polarize the people. The world was a better place with Mr. Seeger in it. He will be missed.

  • @TheSnoopindaweb

    @TheSnoopindaweb

    2 жыл бұрын

    Amen. Yup! G-G

  • @Dulcimerea

    @Dulcimerea

    9 ай бұрын

    I had the good fortune to see him, at Newport, though didn't talk with him.

  • @johnclark1146
    @johnclark11462 жыл бұрын

    Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan - what can I say

  • @stevenwalkersongs

    @stevenwalkersongs

    Жыл бұрын

    They all certainly did their parts

  • @nielspemberton59
    @nielspemberton59 Жыл бұрын

    The greatest, most powerful protest song I have ever heard is "Russians" by Sting on his 1985 album "The Dream of the Blue Turtles." It is still relevant today. As far as I know Mr. Seeger did not record a cover of this song and he should have. We are poorer without it.

  • @DavidByers1eye
    @DavidByers1eye Жыл бұрын

    Thank You . . . . 1 Eye . . . .

  • @nielspemberton59
    @nielspemberton59 Жыл бұрын

    "The Dream of the Blue Turtles." I have that album on CD.

  • @herculesoph5
    @herculesoph58 жыл бұрын

    "Which side are you on?"

  • @brandoncorona9312

    @brandoncorona9312

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Dan Beowulf so you love oppressive sheriffs that kill West Virginian miners.

  • @danielcraft3727

    @danielcraft3727

    Ай бұрын

    That's easy, the kids.

  • @Dave183
    @Dave1832 жыл бұрын

    Th left wing brigade- being spied on is hilarious... ...I am a so-called left winger in Ao-NZ. Would be happy to meet with "them" weekly- if they wish- and have a wide ranging conversation. Happy to tell them anything they want to know!

  • @danielcraft3727
    @danielcraft3727Ай бұрын

    Turn turn turn was written a couole thousand years ago. Would think Woody and Pete read a few Bible passages back in the days. Perhaps where they got their moral values.

  • @Dulcimerea
    @Dulcimerea9 ай бұрын

    waist not knee

  • @danielcraft3727
    @danielcraft3727Ай бұрын

    We have to leave it there. What an authoritarian way to end an interview.

  • @rdeye-rb1pe
    @rdeye-rb1pe2 жыл бұрын

    Ummmm? Seeger didnt establish anything and seeger himself dems said this many many times been picken for 13 years woody arlo pete bob are a few of my faveorite guitarists. Respect them and also established knowledge of self and be involved in what your world is . from them. The 1st amendment isnt shit in america. Never was.we the working class and poor hold it very highly in are communitys dont jive very much with this democracy now channel always do alot of bs. In my opinion the carter family singers and woody as well as leadbelly and howlin wolf blind lemon johnson elmore james and sister rosetta tharpe actually were the pioneers of the origins of american folk music pete wrote many seriously important records absolutetly but i as well as pete seeger never thought of him under the contezt of pioneer .

  • @petertalbot5624

    @petertalbot5624

    2 жыл бұрын

    Nonsense. Pete was both a pioneer and, more importantly, a popularizer of others' songs about struggle, oppression and war. And he ALWAYS gave credit to the songwriters and those he learned from. Seeger had as much to do with popularizing black protest songs in the civil rights era as everyone you mentioned combined. Only Odetta held that pride pride of place. Pete Seeger never pretended to "establish" American folk music, but did more than anyone else to push folk music and politically conscious lyrics and songs into the mainstream. Frankly speaking: you wouldn't know about Leadbelly, Howlin Wolf, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Blake or Robert Johnson if Pete, Woody and Alan Lomax hadn't worked so hard for so little money and so much grief to make it so.

  • @mns8732

    @mns8732

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@petertalbot5624 The Depression was a wake-up call to Americans whos roots were 5,6,7 generations deep. Seeger was part of this American Heritage. After the War, through the 50's, 60's these white families were interested in knitting America together. Poor and wealthy. That spirit died in 1978/80. And we are where we are. That spirit that Seegar , Lomax, Woody expressed is gone for now.

  • @rachele.childs8424
    @rachele.childs8424 Жыл бұрын

    1$T AMENDMENT 👍 STAND FOR SOMETHING OR YOU WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING...AMEN...

  • @keking2178

    @keking2178

    Жыл бұрын

    Just a nice idealism, reality is we are not ready, far away from it. We try but Americans try way too hard and the idealism has changed to something is pure evil.

  • @SandfordSmythe
    @SandfordSmythe2 жыл бұрын

    Let's be honest, Please. Seeger was a member of the Communist Party. He never denied it. He was more than a protest singer, he was more than a liberal [per Woody], he was not just "affiliated" or "connected". I have a very strong negative reaction to those that like to play into his role of the innocent, persecuted liberal. Having said that, I enjoy his music, I have no problem with him being a member of the CPUSA considering the times. Let's get him out of the closet and acknowledge his political ties. This all sound much, much too smooth. This sounds like polished propaganda .My next step is to "investigate" Democracy Now.

  • @LostieTrekieTechie

    @LostieTrekieTechie

    2 жыл бұрын

    Are you doing okay?

  • @dianehenkel9088

    @dianehenkel9088

    2 жыл бұрын

    Pete Seeger belonged to the Communist party for 7 years out of his 94 year life. He even apologized for this, explaining he thought communism would treat everyone equal and dropped out when he realized that was not true.

  • @petertalbot5624

    @petertalbot5624

    2 жыл бұрын

    Being a fellow traveler with the Communists, the Wobblies, the Socialists (he campaigned for Debs) meant that he had a brain and a heart, unlike anyone that wants to "investigate Democracy Now". The danger to American freedoms is entirely from the fascist right. Always has been, going all the way back to John Adam's Sedition Acts to deny freedom of speech against the Bill of Rights to help the Federalists put Jeffersonian Republican in jail for telling the truth about Hamilton's love affair with England and the Aristocracy. The insane contemporary scarecrow of red-baiting in 2020 given the massive, incessant, unrepentant, reprehensible, anti-intellectual, oppressive attempts at a libertarian coup d etat is unforgivably seditious, unpatriotic and puerile. Saying Seeger was a commie can only be badge of honor now.

  • @SandfordSmythe

    @SandfordSmythe

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@petertalbot5624 I was joking about investigating "Democracy Now", though they seem to be whitewashing the historic roots of the Left. During the post WWII era, if someone was a member of the Communist Party, they were going to be investigated. That's what agencies like the FBI do. He was not irrationally being picked on.. I don't agree with the "blacklisting"

  • @eggisfun4217

    @eggisfun4217

    2 жыл бұрын

    he left in 1949 and never joined back, and that doesn't change he is persecuted

  • @rachele.childs8424
    @rachele.childs8424 Жыл бұрын

    😊🐝😊👍

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    @rachele.childs8424 Жыл бұрын

    With NO FEAR 😜 OF RETALIATION.....JANET MILLS..MAYBE ..YOU CAN STEP UP...TELL THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION..THE TRUTH...MY 😊😁 SNIPER..WAS AT STRICTLY FORMAL...WESTERN AVENUE...TODAY..WEDNESDAY..FEBRUARY...7TH...