Pete Seeger (1919-2014) was a folk singer and political activist. He was a frequent guest star on Sesame Street over the years, beginning with its first year in which he also recorded a promotional spot.
Seeger recorded a 1974 album, Pete Seeger & Brother Kirk Visit Sesame Street, with Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick (billed as Brother Kirk), joined by Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and the Kids.
A Season 18 performance by Seeger and the Kids, singing "Sweet-a Little Baby," was released on the 2003 album set Songs from the Street.
For his 90th birthday celebration, Oscar the Grouch sang "Garbage" at The Clearwater Concert: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders, Seeger's benefit birthday concert.[1]
Controversy[]
In 1970 and 1971, Seeger's Sesame Street appearances set off a minor controversy, with a number of conservative parents writing angrily to the Children's Television Workshop with accusations that the show was promoting "a known and self-stated Communist," as one correspondent put it.[2] The CTW defended the Seeger appearances and continued to book the singer on the program.
Appearances[]
Picture | Appearance | Description |
---|---|---|
Episode 0048 | "Where's Your Point Finger?," "Skip to My Lou," "John Henry," "Abiyoyo," etc. | |
Episode 0108 | "The Green Grass Grew All Around," "There's a Hole in the Bucket," etc. | |
Episode 0136 | In a filmed segment, Pete sings as he and some kids work on a sloop, followed by concert footage of Pete performing. He talks about keeping the river and the land clean, throughout singing samples of "Heave Away, Haul Away," "My Dirty Stream (The Hudson River Song)," and "Skip to My Lou." | |
Episode 0140 | Seeger spends the day on Sesame Street while his car is fixed; he sings "The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore," and others. | |
Episode 0203 | Seeger plays the steel drum and sings "Que Linda," "Bear Hunt," "Don't Push Down on Me," etc. | |
Episode 0247 | "Mister Rabbit," "Little Sugar," "Join in the Game," etc. | |
Episode 0347 | Seeger learns a Spanish song from Luis, tells some stories, and sings "Seek and You Shall Find," "God Bless the Grass," and "My Hat It Has Three Corners." | |
Episode 0389 | Seeger sings "This Land Is Your Land" (with Maria adding a verse in Spanish), "Abiyoyo," "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Crawlie Creepie Little Mousie," "You Can't Make a Turtle Come Out," and "May There Always Be Sunshine." He also plays a drawing game with the kids. | |
Episode 0490 | Seeger is joined by Jimmy Collier and sings "If You Want to Get Your Freedom, Clap Your Hands." | |
Episode 0611 | Joined again by Jimmy Collier, Seeger chops wood to the tune of "Didn't Old John," tells the story of "Abiyoyo" again, and joins Collier for a performance of "I Am - Somebody." | |
Episode 0741 | "Put Your Finger in the Air," "Guantanamera," "Cottage in the Woods," and "Proud Mary." | |
Episode 1076 | Seeger learns sign language from Linda at the fair. | |
Episode 2328 | Seeger visits with his grandson Kitama and sings "I Got Me a Rooster" and "Sweet-a Little Baby." | |
Episode 2534 | Seeger appears in the celebrity version of "Put Down the Duckie." |
Sources[]
- ↑ Caramanica, Jon. "Pete Seeger Celebrates 90th With a Concert" - The New York Times. May 4, 2009
- ↑ Viewer correspondence in the Children’s Television Workshop archive, series I, box 17, folder 45, National Archive of Public Broadcasting, University of Maryland, College Park, Md.