A few years ago, in flash of inspiration, I began a song as a tribute to one of my heroes, Pete Seeger: "Song For Pete". A title, a verse and a chorus came quickly and then...nothing. I wrestled with that tune for probably a year and a half before finally muscling my way through and finishing it. I hit a wall with this song for one reason, I didn't think I could do the man justice I wanted to write a love letter to Pete for all the years of joy and inspiration I'd had listening to him play and learning from his example. I realized after a while that nothing I could write could ever truly do him justice, so I just plowed through and put it out there. I had a dream of singing it to him at Clearwater, like I saw Steve Earle do a few years back with his Pete tribute "One Of These Days I'm Gonna Lay This Hammer Down", unfortunately I didn't get that opportunity. I don't have many real regrets in my life but that will always be one. Ironically, just a couple of weeks before Pete passed I was one of three winners of the South Florida Folk Festival songwriting competition with "Song For Pete".
Pete was a giant, there will never be another like him. He was a perfect storm of integrity, social consciousness, justice, peace, musicianship and generosity of spirit. Along with his wife of nearly seventy years, Toshi, he created a legacy that stands as a challenge for all of us to continue. I heard someone say on the radio this week that Pete was a Johnny Appleseed of song and that's true, but he was also a Johnny Appleseed of ideas, ideas that may not immediately translate to the bottom line, but ultimately lead to a world of the only riches that matter: peace, justice and love.
I live not far from Beacon where Pete lived and it was always comforting to know in the back of my head that Pete was just up the road. I wish I could say I knew him, but I only met him once at a Tribes Hill concert in 2005. He was amazing that day, performing with the energy of a man half his age. I'll always be grateful for the chance I had to sing back-up for Pete along with Fred Gillen,jr and Anthony DaCosta on that beautiful June Day. It will take a very long time for me to wrap my head around the fact that Pete's no longer with us. Although I'm old enough to know better I thought Pete would live forever.
If the world is lucky, his memory and songs will.
That's a song for Pete.
Pete was a giant, there will never be another like him. He was a perfect storm of integrity, social consciousness, justice, peace, musicianship and generosity of spirit. Along with his wife of nearly seventy years, Toshi, he created a legacy that stands as a challenge for all of us to continue. I heard someone say on the radio this week that Pete was a Johnny Appleseed of song and that's true, but he was also a Johnny Appleseed of ideas, ideas that may not immediately translate to the bottom line, but ultimately lead to a world of the only riches that matter: peace, justice and love.
I live not far from Beacon where Pete lived and it was always comforting to know in the back of my head that Pete was just up the road. I wish I could say I knew him, but I only met him once at a Tribes Hill concert in 2005. He was amazing that day, performing with the energy of a man half his age. I'll always be grateful for the chance I had to sing back-up for Pete along with Fred Gillen,jr and Anthony DaCosta on that beautiful June Day. It will take a very long time for me to wrap my head around the fact that Pete's no longer with us. Although I'm old enough to know better I thought Pete would live forever.
If the world is lucky, his memory and songs will.
That's a song for Pete.