With a career spanning more than half a century, renowned folk artist, political activist, and avid environmentalist, Pete Seeger, turned 90 in May of 2009. In honor of the milestone birthday, a multi-generational roster of artists, whose music has been shaped by Seeger’s vision, gathered at Madison Square Garden on May 3 to celebrate his lifetime achievement. Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden will premiere in HD on THIRTEEN’s Great Performances on Thursday, July 30 at 8 p.m. EST (check local listings).
Watch a preview:
See performances from the concert::
“We Shall Overcome”
Seeger and Friends Perform “This Land Is Your Land”
The Happy Birthday Song
Joan Baez Performs “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”
Joining Seeger for this extraordinary concert event were more than 40 artists, including Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn, Ani DiFranco, Taj Mahal, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, and many others who performed songs inspired by Seeger’s music and activism. Concert highlights include Seeger leading the audience in a rousing sing-along of “Amazing Grace.” Other classic favorites compelling the enthusiastic audience to join in were “We Shall Overcome” and “This Land Is Your Land.”
Born to a large family of musicians, young Peter first learned to play the ukulele, graduating to the five-string banjo in the mid-1930s, ultimately mastering the instrument and, in the process, galvanizing the American folk music movement. A pioneer of protest music, Seeger’s anti-Vietnam War songs, including the now famous “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn, Turn, Turn,” as well his interpretation of the Civil Rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” garnered mainstream attention in the 1960’s, revitalizing the genre and paving the way for countless other activist musicians—including Bob Dylan—to achieve widespread acclaim.
The concert was a benefit for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a non-profit, environmental organization created by Seeger to bring awareness to the importance of protecting the Hudson River and our other natural resources.
In February 2008, THIRTEEN co-produced and broadcast the first and only authorized biography of Seeger, American Masters: Pete Seeger: The Power of Song. The film was awarded a Primetime Emmy.
Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer. Visit Great Performances Online at www.pbs.org/gperf for additional information about this and other programs.
I performed at MSG (NAICA) “Our plight shall be heard… and seen… Victorio Roland
I wanted to see this so bad and thankfully PBS was there to film it for us ! Bravo and now I can’t wait until the end of the month.
Hammer & Sickle included?
i’ve just spent the past hour looking for the milwaukee, wisconsin, viewing of this concert. isn’t it being shown in milwaukee on july 30th?
I was fortunate to be there and it was beyond wonderful. From Pete to Oscar the Grouch, the performances were memborable in the extreme!
Pete is one of the great ones of our times, using music and wisdom to support the common cause. Even native elders were eager to come and honor him. We thank PBS for helping us remember this HIPSTORY.
To be sure Pete Seeger will air on WUNC-TV July 30 at 8:00 pm someone please confirm
I can’t confirm the time or channel anywhere.
Checked Direct TV, my channel guide. IMDB…What’s the deal?
My sister checked her Comcast guide, we are in the Chicago area, she can’t find the broadcast either. And we both checked several days ahead as well.
To Pat K. who wrote “hammer & sickle”: if Pete Seeger was a communist, then thank God for communism!
He is one of the most committed, loving, caring people I have ever met!
I, also, cannot find the concert listed for Southern Oregon on the 30th of July. Does someone know “what’s goin’ on?”
I was fortunate to get to attend this superb event. Besides the unbelieveable plethora of talent, it was a moving and deserved tribute to a truly great American.
To Avram: “Committeed, loving and caring”, as you described Seeger, does not equal “correct”. We have spent the last 40 years destroying our economy and our nation–and Seeger planted some of the seeds. In 1950, we were unequivocally the greatest nation on earth–today, we are fading into the sunset as China rises. Pitiful, and our own fault….
[...] Garden to perform songs inspired by his music and activism. Celebrating his milestone birthday on Great Performances: Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden (Saturday, August 8 at 9 p.m.) are Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, Arlo Guthrie, Ben Harper, Emmylou [...]
Thank God you were white, Bob W. In 1950, there was Jim Crow, no civil/human rights for African-Americans and women were kept in little suburban boxes. It wasn’t the greatest nation on earth for everyone else who was struggling. Thanks to Pete Seeger, a lot of eyes were opened to injustice and racism.
Mag… how do you know Bob is white? Maybe I didn’t read carefully enough. Still, your comments are well taken. I would recommend to stop the either/or thinking. Pete has his faults, and I don’t agree with him sometimes. He also, like many people of all political persuasions, can show a little too much self righteousness at times, looking down on “bad people.” But he’s contributed a great deal and it is appropriate to celebrate his longevity and idealism.
I don’t find on PBS in Birmingham either. Say what you want, I remember what the Hudson River looked and smelled like before Pete started the ball rolling. Now you can swim and fish in it. He’s an environmental hero!
Pete is an American tradition. And by golly he’s tweaked the nose of every complacency & injustice in our status quo. Thus he does his best to continue to piss off the power brokers and conservatives that profit from the way things are. More power to you Mr. Seeger and may you serve to inspire a new generation of those of us who question authority and injustice!
Anybody against Pete is against America, period. Delta’s ready when you are, Bob W & Pat K! I hear Manitoba’s lovely this time of year.
I’ve been to a lot of incredible shows, but none as emotionally charged and communal in feeling as this one. It was more moving than any church service. Here’s to the next 90, Pete!
“Bob W Says:
To Avram: “Committeed, loving and caring”, as you described Seeger, does not equal “correct”. We have spent the last 40 years destroying our economy and our nation–and Seeger planted some of the seeds. In 1950, we were unequivocally the greatest nation on earth–today, we are fading into the sunset as China rises. Pitiful, and our own fault….”
You ignorant fool! Corporate greed and Big Business’ lackies in D.C. (sometime referred to as “Congress”) is what ruined our nation
I was at the concert and it was awesome. I posted a comment when I received an email from Thirteen announcing when the concert would air. I wrote a comment then about how wonderful this concert is.
To Anthony Flynn: what have you been smoking? In the last 40 years we have had both Republican and Democratic Presidents with various philosophies. The business cycle has ups and downs, some which are extreme. I agree that greed has alot to do with our problems today. But this greed comes from the anti-regulation crowd. And Mr. Seeger certainly never sent them. Like was said in the comic strip Pogo: “I have seen the enemy, and he is us.” But keep the faith, we will endure and be properous again.
Yeah, it was just an unforgettable event! We spent the whole weekend in Pete Seegerland: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/coleen-rowley/outlasting-the-bastards-l_b_200357.html
I am interested in a VHS video or DVD of Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration at Madison Square Garden.
hi! my name is melissa lisalove richardson. i saw the Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden and i find it was reallyyyyyyyy nice and the performers were really great too. but my favorite performer was Bruce Springsteen, not because i’m a bigggggggggg fan of bruce springsteen i just find that he had perform the best and i also find he had spoke the best too. i had also find that bruce and the other guy sang my one of my favorite songs real nice too. i just love the song ghost of tom joad lisalove
Will this performance be placed on the internet for later viewing? I didn’t get a chance to record!
It would be nice to see a list of all the musicians that performed that night. Could you please post. Thank you.
Please list ALL the performers somewhere on this program’s site. The acutal show flashed the names way too quickly and NEVER listed ALL the performers at the end and now I have viewed it twice from my CT home. They all deserve acknowledgement for the contributions to this wonderful Great Performances show. Which Wainrights? Was that Livingston Taylor? who knows… Thanks
[...] in for Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden, Thursday night August 5th at 9:30PM on WVPT. [...]
That is what I hate about WTTW – can not find this program being aired anytime … We all want it NOW
I count myself most fortunate to have shared a tiny slice of those 90 years. We may be apart by geography, but never forgotten. Each time my sails fill with air and my keel glides through the Hudson I raise a glass to Pete!