Mike Seeger (August 15, 1933August 7, 2009) was an American

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

ian and folklorist. He was a distinctive singer and an accomplished musician who played autoharp, banjo, fiddle,

dulcimer The word dulcimer refers to two families of musical string instruments. Hammered dulcimers The word ''dulcimer'' originally referred to a trapezoidal zither similar to a psaltery whose many strings are struck by handheld "hammers". Variants of ...

, guitar, mouth harp, mandolin, dobro, jaw harp, and

pan pipes A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have bee ...

. Seeger, a half-brother of

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

, produced more than 30 documentary recordings, and performed in more than 40 other recordings. He desired to make known the caretakers of culture that inspired and taught him.

Family and early life

Seeger was born in New York and grew up in Maryland and Washington D.C. His father, Charles Louis Seeger Jr., was a composer and pioneering ethnomusicologist, investigating both American folk and non-Western music. His mother,

Ruth Crawford Seeger Ruth Crawford Seeger (born Ruth Porter Crawford; July 3, 1901 – November 18, 1953) was an American composer and folk music specialist. Her music was a prominent exponent of the emerging modernist aesthetic and she became a central member of a g ...

, was a composer. His eldest half-brother, Charles Seeger III, was a radio astronomer, and his next older half-brother, John Seeger, taught for years at the

Dalton School The Dalton School, originally the Children's University School, is a private, coeducational college preparatory school in New York City and a member of both the Ivy Preparatory School League and the New York Interschool. The school is located ...

in Manhattan. His next older half brother was

. His uncle,

Alan Seeger Alan Seeger (22 June 1888 – 4 July 1916) was an American war poet who fought and died in World War I during the Battle of the Somme, serving in the French Foreign Legion. Seeger was the brother of Charles Seeger, a noted American pacifist ...

, the poet who wrote "I have a rendezvous with Death", was killed during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Seeger was a self-taught musician who began playing stringed instruments at the age of 18. He also sang

Sacred Harp Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a ubiquitous and historically important tune ...

with British folk singer Ewan MacColl and his son, Calum. Seeger's sister

Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American folk singer. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years, and was married to the singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. First American period Seeger's father ...

, also a well-known folk performer, married MacColl, and his sister Penny wed John Cohen, a member of Mike's musical group, New Lost City Ramblers. The family moved to Washington D.C. in 1936 after his father's appointment to the music division of the

Resettlement Administration The Resettlement Administration (RA) was a New Deal U.S. federal agency created May 1, 1935. It relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government. On September 1, 1937, it was succeeded by the Farm S ...

. While in Washington D.C., Ruth Seeger worked closely with

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

and Alan Lomax at the Archive of American Folk Song at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

to preserve and teach American folk music. Ruth Seeger's arrangements and interpretations of American Traditional folk songs in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s are well regarded.

Musical career

At about the age of 20, Mike Seeger began collecting songs by traditional musicians on a tape recorder. Folk musicians such as Lead Belly,

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

John Jacob Niles John Jacob Niles (April 28, 1892 – March 1, 1980) was an American composer, singer and collector of traditional ballads. Called the "Dean of American Balladeers," Niles was an important influence on the American folk music revival of the 195 ...

, and others were frequent guests in the Seeger home. In 1958 he co-founded the New Lost City Ramblers, an old-time

string band A string band is an old-time music or jazz ensemble made up mainly or solely of string instruments. String bands were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and are among the forerunners of modern country music and bluegrass. While being active countr ...

in New York City, during the

Folk Revival The American folk music revival began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Billie Holiday, Richard Dyer-Benn ...

. The other founding members included John Cohen and

Tom Paley Allan Thomas Paley (March 19, 1928 – September 30, 2017) was an American guitarist, banjo and fiddle player. He was best known for his work with the New Lost City Ramblers in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Paley was born on March 19, 1928 and r ...

. Paley later left the group in 1962 and was replaced by

Tracy Schwarz Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz are an American folk music duo known for performing traditional music from the early American canon of bluegrass, gospel, and old time music. The duo, however, on occasion does record original songs and music by co ...

. The New Lost City Ramblers directly influenced countless musicians in subsequent years. The Ramblers distinguished themselves by focusing on the traditional playing styles they heard on old

78rpm A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

records of musicians recorded during the 1920s and 1930s. Tracy was also in Mike's other band, Strange Creek Singers. So was Mike's former wife,

Alice Gerrard Alice Gerrard (born July 8, 1934) is an American bluegrass singer, banjoist, fiddler, and guitar player. She performed in a duo with Hazel Dickens, and as part of The Strange Creek Singers (with Dickens, Mike Seeger, Tracy Schwarz, and Lamar ...

. She was Alice Seeger in that band and sang and played guitar in it. The other people in Strange Creek Singers were bass player and singer

Hazel Dickens Hazel Jane Dickens (June 1, 1925 – April 22, 2011) was an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, double bassist and guitarist. Her music was characterized not only by her high, lonesome singing style, but also by her provocative pro- unio ...

and banjo player Lamar Grier. Mike sang and played guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, autoharp, and harmonica in the band. Seeger received six Grammy nominations and was the recipient of four grants from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, including a 2009

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's ...

, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. His influence on the folk scene was described by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

in his autobiography, '' Chronicles: Volume One''. He was a popular presenter and performer at traditional music gatherings such as

Breakin' Up Winter Breakin' Up Winter is an old-time music 'retreat', a gathering of old-time string band musicians that began the first weekend of March, 1994. It eschews the contest approach common to the larger festivals. It brings together hundreds of old-time ...

. Eight days before his 76th birthday, Mike Seeger died at his home in Lexington, Virginia, on August 7, 2009, after stopping cancer treatment. The Mike Seeger Collection, which includes original sound and video recordings by Mike Seeger, is located in the

Southern Folklife Collection The Southern Folklife Collection is an archival resource at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, dedicated to collecting, preserving and disseminating traditional and vernacular music, art, and culture related to the American South. ...

of the Wilson Library of the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

Discography

* ''Old Time Country Music'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1962) * ''Mike Seeger'' (Vanguard) (1964) * ''Tipple, Loom & Rail'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1965) * ''Mike and Peggy Seeger'' (Argo) (1966) * ''Mike and Alice Seeger in Concert'' (King (JP)) (1971) * ''Music From True Vine'' (Mercury) (1972) * ''Berkeley Farms'' (Folkways) (1972) * ''The Second Annual Farewell Reunion'' (Mercury) (1973) * ''American Folk Songs for Children'' (Rounder) (1977) * ''

and Mike Seeger'' (Greenhays) (1980) * ''Fresh Oldtime String Band Music'' (Rounder) (1988) * ''American Folk Songs for Christmas'' (Rounder) (1989) * ''Solo: Oldtime Country Music'' (Rounder) (1991) * ''Animal Folk Songs for Children'' (Rounder) (1992) * ''Third Annual Farewell Reunion'' (Rounder) (1994) * ''Way Down in North Carolina'' ''(w/ Paul Brown)'' (Rounder) (1996) * ''Southern Banjo Sounds'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1998) * '' Retrograss'' ''(w/

John Hartford John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kn ...

and David Grisman)'' (

Acoustic Disc David Grisman (born March 23, 1945) is an American mandolinist. His music combines bluegrass, folk, and jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acoustic mu ...

) (1999) * ''True Vine'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (2003) * ''Early Southern Guitar Sounds'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (2007) * Robert Plant and

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...

– ''

Raising Sand ''Raising Sand'' is a collaborative studio album by rock singer Robert Plant and bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. It was released in October 2007 by Rounder Records. ''Raising Sand'' won Album of the Year at the 2008 Americana Music Hon ...

'' (Rounder) (2007) * Ry Cooder – '' My Name Is Buddy'' (Nonesuch) (2007) * ''Talking Feet (Book) Compiled with dancer Ruth Pershing'' (Consignment) (2007) * ''Talking Feet (DVD)'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (2007) * ''Bowling Green'' ''(w/

)'' (5-String Productions) (2008) (Re-release of Greenhays released in 1980) * ''Fly Down Little Bird'' (Appalseed) (2011)

Recordings with the New Lost City Ramblers

* ''New Lost City Ramblers'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1958) * ''Old Timey Songs for Children'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1959) * ''Songs for the Depression'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1959) * ''New Lost City Ramblers – Vol. 2'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1960) * ''Newport Folk Festival, 1960, Vol. 1'' (Vanguard - VRS 9083) (1960) * ''New Lost City Ramblers – Vol. 3'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1961) * ''New Lost City Ramblers'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1961) * ''New Lost City Ramblers – Vol. 4'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1962) * ''American Moonshine and Prohibition Songs'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1962) * ''New Lost City Ramblers – Vol. 5'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1963) * ''Gone to the Country'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1963) * ''String Band Instrumentals'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1964) * ''Rural Delivery No. 1'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1964) * ''Modern Times'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1968) * ''New Lost City Ramblers with Cousin Emmy'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1968) * ''Remembrance of Things to Come'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1973) * ''On the Great Divide'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1975) * ''Earth is Earth'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1978) * ''

, John Cohen, Mike Seeger Sing Songs of the New Lost City Ramblers'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1978) * ''20th Anniversary Concert, with

Elizabeth Cotten Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten ( Nevills; January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American folk and blues musician. She was a self-taught left-handed guitarist who played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down. This po ...

, Highwoods String Band, Pete Seeger & the Green Grass Cloggers'' (FLYING FISH (Rounder)) (1978) * ''The Early Years, 1958–1962'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1991) * ''Out Standing in their Field: The New Lost City Ramblers, Vol 2, 1963–1973'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1993) * ''There Ain't No Way Out'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (1997) * ''40 Years of Concert Recordings'' (Rounder) (2001) * ''50 Years: Where Do You Come From? Where Do You Go?'' (Smithsonian Folkways) (2008)

Recording with Strange Creek Singers

* ''Strange Creek Singers'' (Mike and Alice Seeger,

, Lamar Grier) (Arhoolie) (1972)

Selected films featuring Mike Seeger

* ''Homemade American Music'' (1980) by Yasha Aginsky * ''Always Been a Rambler'' (2009) by Yasha Aginsky

References

External links

Official site
* *
“Last Known Interview,"
by Elizabeth Bissette, September 18, 2008, CountryMusicPride.com
"Folk Music's Mike Seeger Dead"
– NPR obituary
Mike Seeger Collection
Southern Folklife Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill * by Bob Cherry, August 8, 2009, Cybergrass.com.
"Mike Seeger to Hospice Care"
John Lawless, July 29, 2009, BluegrassToday.com
Mike Seeger Folk Revivalist and Historian
Featured artist biographical essay on Smithsonian Global Sound site, 2007. Retrieved August 2009.
How Can I Keep From Singing?: A Seeger Family Tribute

American Folklife Center The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. was created by Congress in 1976 "to preserve and present American Folklife". The center includes the Archive of Folk Culture, established at the library in 1928 as a repo ...

, March 2007 symposium and concert. All events are available as webcasts via the site. Retrieved August 25, 2009. *
Internet radio interview with Mike Seeger, he discusses Elizabeth Cotten, Dock Boggs, Henry Thomas, Alan Lomax, the current state of folk music and plays gourd banjo and jaw harp live on air

– Daily Telegraph obituary {{DEFAULTSORT:Seeger, Mike 1933 births 2009 deaths American fiddlers American folk musicians Deaths from cancer in Virginia Musicians from New York City People from Lexington, Virginia Old-time musicians Autoharp players Appalachian old-time fiddlers Seeger family Jaw harp players American folk singers American mandolinists National Heritage Fellowship winners 20th-century American violinists 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers