Citizendia

The Weavers around 1949. Standing l to r: Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman. Seated: Ronnie Gilbert.
The Weavers around 1949. Standing l to r: Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman. Seated: Ronnie Gilbert.

The Weavers were an influential American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Greenwich Village (ˌgrɛnɪtʃ ˈvɪlɪdʒ often simply called the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern Manhattan The City of New York They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs and American ballads, selling millions of records at the height of their popularity. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to A ballad is a Poem usually set to Music; thus it often is a story told in a Song. They inspired the commercial "folk boom" that followed them in the 1950s and 1960s, including such acts as The Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary. The Kingston Trio is an American folk and Pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to early 1960s Peter Paul and Mary (often called PP&M) are a musical group from the United States who were one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the

The Weavers group was formed in November 1948 by Ronnie Gilbert, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman and Pete Seeger. Ronnie Gilbert (born September 7, 1926) is an American folk-singer one of the members of The Weavers with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays Lee Hays ( March 14, 1914 - August 26, 1981) was an American folk-singer and songwriter best known for singing bass with The Fred Hellerman (born May 13, 1927, Brooklyn New York) is an American folk singer, guitarist producer and song writer primarily known as one Peter "Pete" Seeger (born May 3 1919 is an American folk singer political Activist, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American The name came from an 1892 drama of the same name by Gerhart Hauptmann. Gerhart Hauptmann ( November 15, 1862 — June 6, 1946) was a German Dramatist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature After a period of being unable to find much paid work, they finally landed a steady engagement at the Village Vanguard jazz club. The Village Vanguard is a Jazz club in Greenwich Village in New York City. This led to their discovery by arranger-bandleader Gordon Jenkins and their signing with Decca Records. Gordon Hill Jenkins ( 12 May 1910 – 1 May 1984) was an American Arranger who was an influential figure in popular music Decca Records is a British Record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. The group had a big hit in 1949 with Leadbelly's Goodnight Irene, backed with the 1941 Israeli song Tzena, Tzena, Tzena. Huddie William Ledbetter, (January 1888 – December 6 1949 was an American folk and Blues Musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing " Goodnight Irene " or " Irene Goodnight," is a 20th century American folk standard. " Tzena Tzena Tzena " is a Song, originally written in Hebrew by Issachar Miron ( né Stefan Michrovsky a Polish emigrant In keeping with the commercial taste of the time, these and other early Weavers releases had violins and orchestration added behind the group's own guitars and folk instruments.

The Weavers' records and concerts helped popularize many of the songs now considered standards in the folk repertoire, including "On Top of Old Smoky" (with guest vocalist Terry Gilkyson), "Follow the Drinking Gourd," "Kisses Sweeter than Wine," "The Wreck of the John B (aka "Sloop John B")," "Rock Island Line," "The Midnight Special," "Pay Me My Money Down," and "Darling Corey. " On Top of Old Smoky " is a traditional folk song and a well-known Ballad of the United States which as recorded by The Weavers, reached Hamilton H "Terry" Gilkyson III ( June 17, 1916 - October 15, 1999) was a Singer, composer and lyricist " Kisses Sweeter than Wine " is a popular Love song written by The Weavers in 1950 and a hit for Jimmie Rodgers in 1957 " Sloop John B " is the seventh track on The Beach Boys ' Pet Sounds album and was also a single which was released in 1966 on A Work song, " Pay Me My Money Down " originated among the Negro stevedores working in the Georgia Sea Islands "Darlin' Cory" ( Roud 5723 is a well-known folk song about a banjo-picking moonshine-making mountain woman " The Weavers encouraged sing-alongs in their concerts, and Seeger would sometimes shout out the lyrics in advance of each line.

Film footage of the Weavers is relatively scarce. The group appeared as a specialty act in a B-movie musical, Disc Jockey (1951), and filmed five of their record hits that same year for TV producer Lou Snader: "Goodnight Irene," "Tzena Tzena Tzena," "So Long," "Around the World," and "The Roving Kind. " Goodnight Irene " or " Irene Goodnight," is a 20th century American folk standard. " Tzena Tzena Tzena " is a Song, originally written in Hebrew by Issachar Miron ( né Stefan Michrovsky a Polish emigrant The Roving Kind was a Popular song written in 1951 by Rex Allen. "

The Weavers eventually came under political pressure because of their history of singing protest songs and folk songs favoring labor unions, as well as for the leftist political beliefs of the individuals in the group. A protest song is a Song which Protests against perceived problems in Society. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming They avoided recording the more controversial songs in their repertoire, and refrained from performing at controversial venues and events. The leftwing press derided them as having sold out their beliefs in exchange for popular success. Despite their caution, however, they were placed under FBI surveillance and blacklisted by parts of the entertainment industry during the McCarthy era, from 1950. McCarthyism is a term describing the intense anti-communist suspicion in the United States in a period that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s Right-wing and anti-Communist groups protested at their performances and harassed promoters. As a result of the blacklisting, the Weavers lost radio airplay and the group's popularity diminished rapidly, reducing them to playing smaller venues for occasionally hostile audiences. Decca terminated their recording contract and deleted their songs from its catalog in 1953.

Pete Seeger continued his solo career after the group disbanded in 1952, although Seeger continued to suffer from the effects of blacklisting. In December 1955, the group reunited to play a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall (generally ˌkɑrnɨgi ˈhɔːl is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east The concert was a huge success. A recording of the concert was issued by the independent Vanguard Records, and this led to their signing by that record label (by the mid-1950s, folk music was surging in popularity and McCarthyism was fading). WikipediaWikiProject Missing encyclopedic articles/List of notable albums --> At Carnegie Hall is the second Album by The Vanguard Records is a Record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York.

The Weavers were hired to provide the vocals for a TV commercial; the product was a brand of cigarettes. Seeger, opposed to the dangers of tobacco and discouraged by the group's apparent selling out to commercial interests, spent his last year with the Weavers honoring his commitments, but feeling like a prisoner. He left the group on April 1, 1958.

Seeger recommended Erik Darling of The Tarriers as his replacement. Erik Darling ( September 25, 1933 - August 3, 2008) was an American Songwriter and a Folk music artist The Tarriers were a Vocal group specializing in Folk music and folk-flavored Popular music. Darling remained with the group until June 1962, leaving to pursue a solo career and to eventually form the folk-jazz trio The Rooftop Singers. The Rooftop Singers were a progressive folk singing trio in the early 1960s best known for the hit " Walk Right In " Frank Hamilton, who replaced Darling, stayed with the group nine months, giving his notice just before the Weavers celebrated its 15th anniversary with two nights of concerts at Carnegie Hall in March 1963. Frank Hamilton is an American Folk Musician and Co-Founder of the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago Illinois. Carnegie Hall (generally ˌkɑrnɨgi ˈhɔːl is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east Folksinger Bernie Krause, later a pioneer in bringing the Moog synthesizer to popular music, was the last performer to occupy "the Seeger chair. Bernie Krause (born 8 December, 1938 in Detroit Michigan) is an American bioacoustician The term Moog (ˈmoʊg as in 'vogue' Synthesizer can refer to any number of Analog synthesizers designed by Dr " The group disbanded in 1964, but Gilbert, Hellerman and Hays occasionally reunited with either Seeger or Darling into 1980.

Lee Hays, ill and confined to a wheelchair, wistfully approached the original Weavers for one last get-together. Hays's informal picnic prompted a professional reunion, and a triumphant return to Carnegie Hall. A documentary film, The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time!, chronicled the history of the group, and the events leading up to the reunion; it was released in 1982, after Hays's death. Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar)

Lee Hays died in 1981; a book biography, "Lonesome Traveler" by Doris Willens, was published in 1988. Ronnie Gilbert has toured America as a soloist. Fred Hellerman is a recording engineer and producer. Pete Seeger is the elder statesman of folk music; he doesn't travel as often as formerly. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term "the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World"

In February 2006 The Weavers received the Lifetime Achievement Award given out annually at the Grammy awards show. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to "performers who during their lifetimes have made creative contributions of outstanding Represented by members Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman, they struck a chord with the crowd as their struggles with political witch hunts during the 1950s were recounted. "If you can exist, and stay the course -- not a course of blind obstinacy and faulty conception -- but one of decency and good sense, you can outlast your enemies with your honor and integrity intact," said Hellerman.

Discography

External links

The Weavers Wasn't That a Time! is a 1982 Documentary film about the Blacklisted folk group The Weavers and the events
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic