Mike Seeger

Mike Seeger passed away at his home in Lexington, Virginia on the evening of Friday August 7th. Mike had been recently diagnosed with multiple mylemoa – an agressive form of cancer. For seveal years, Mike also battled leukemia. A week ago, Mike came to the decision to end his treatments and return home to be with his family. He passed away on Friday night surrounded by his wife, sons and sister Peggy.

The “folk revival” of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s had many important figures that created a deep interest in traditional music. At the top of the list was Mike Seeger.

He grew up in a musical household – the son of composer Ruth Crawford Seeger and musicologist Charles Seeger. He was the brother of Peggy Seeger and the step brother of Pete Seeger. Another member of the Seeger’s Washington household was Elizabeth Cotton, who was a maid and also caretaker for the Seeger children. Mike absorbed this music – including family sings, guitar lessons from Cotton and houseguests incluing Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, but Mike would find his own path .

By the age of 20, Mike Seeger was collecting music on a tape recorder as he traveled the country. He would seek out musicians such as Doc Boggs, Cousin Emmy, Kilby Snow (the acclaimed autoharpist), and Maybelle Carter. His passion for old-time music would inspire Mike to share the treasure with others, and in 1959 he co-founded the New Lost City Ramblers – the seminal string band that featured Seeger along with John Cohen and Tom Paley (Tracy Schwarz joined the group after Tom Paley left the trio).

Unlike many of the folk groups of the era, the New Lost City Ramblers remained true to the styles of the original source singers. Groups like the Kingston Trio would contemporize the songs, but the New Lost City Ramblers shared the original playing styles that they found on old 78s and from the musicians themselves. Because of their committment, the New Lost City Ramblers remained a highly respected group throughout the decades and in turn introduced old time music to new audiences.

Mike Seeger received several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts for his work in preserving traditional music. In addition to recording hundreds of musicians, Mike Seeger documented Southern dance traditions, and had recently begun working on a video documentary of contemporary Southern banjo players.

During his lifetime, Mike Seeger recorded over 40 albums – solo and performing with others. He received 6 Grammy nominations and in 1996 he was awarded the Ralph J. Gleason Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor established by the Grateful Dead’s Rex Foundation to recognize “those who exemplify the qualities of talent, vision, innovation that Ralph so tirelessly supported”. The citation noted that Mike “remains one of our great musical and cultural resources. To see him perform is to experience the richness of our traditions.”

In 2007, the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club was treated to an outstanding performance from Mike. In one of our final concerts at our old venue in Paramus, Mike entertained and educated the audience with samples of various traditions that he gathered during his years as a collector. Mike shared songs and tunes on guitar, fiddle, banjo and jaw harp – and I will always remember walking on stage to introduce him, surrounded by those cherished instruments that served to carry on the tradition. That evening was also memorable for guest appearances from banjo legend Tony Triskka and autoharp master Drew Smith. Watching the three onstage brought chills, accompanied by a warmth to know that these individuals have spent their lives sharing our national treasures. (Photos from this concert can be found on the Hurdy Gurdy blogsite – www.hurdygurdyfolk.blogspot.com )

Mike Seeger will be fondly remembered, and his legacy will be heard whenever someone picks up a banjo or fiddle for the first time to learn an old-timey tune.