Let Your Voice Be Heard: The Life and Times of Pete Seeger

"Pete Seeger became the most important folk singer of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. But he might have chosen a very different path." In addition to abundant primary source material, Silvey makes terrific use of her access to her subject, who died in 2014 at age ninety-four, and tells his sometimes complicated story with clarity and gusto. To elucidate a career spanning seven decades, Silvey covers Seeger's privileged, mildly eccentric upbringing; his trial-and-error path to folk singing (he first tried journalism, then painting-both unsuccessfully); his complex friendship with Woody Guthrie, who taught him how to become a performer, not just a singer; his rising fortunes as a member of the chart-topping folk group the Weavers; his targeting during the Communist witch hunts of the 1950s (being called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee), which sank the Weavers' careers; and his subsequent reinvention as a solo artist who entertained all ages. Rushed here are Seeger's last decades (when he became a crusader for the environmental movement), but this is a mere quibble about a book whose author has an expert's ear for the interests of her intended audience (including that fact that Seeger once got paid in hamburgers). Scattered throughout are black-and-white photos, many of which capture Seeger's charisma and the joy he took in music. Appended with extensive back matter, including source notes, a bibliography, and an index. nell beram

Using abundant primary source material and terrific access to her subject (who died in 2014), Silvey tells Pete Seeger's sometimes complicated life story with clarity and gusto. Silvey covers Seeger's privileged, eccentric upbringing; his path to folk singing; and his targeting during the Communist witch hunts of the 1950s. Black-and-white photos throughout capture Seeger's charisma and the joy he took in music. Bib., ind.