Peggy Seeger

When Peggy Seeger was a tiny girl, her mother filled the family home with folk recordings collected by music historian Alan Lomax. Ruth Crawford Seeger, a talented composer in her own right, had been charged with transcribing the music for the Library of Congress – a task that required multiple replayings of each song until little Peggy felt folk music in her bones. Of course, when Pete Seeger is your older brother, it would be difficult not to be influenced by the power of traditional music. Of the Seeger siblings, all but one formed a career in music (brother Mike formed the New Lost City Ramblers and continues to perform). Along with the music came a dedication to activism that was passed down from her father, Charles. Through her songwriting and theatrical works, Seeger has given voice to feminist, anti-war, workers’ rights and other progressive issues. After meeting singer/songwriter/activist Ewan MacColl in London while she was in her early 20s, Seeger suddenly became the partner of an established artist and political force. The two moved in together and went on to have three children before Seeger officially married MacColl, with whom she worked on a variety of projects – both musical and for the stage. She was his inspiration as well, acting as muse for songs such as the Grammy-winning “The First Time Ever I Saw Her Face.” Since MacColl’s death in 1989, Seeger has continued with her solo work, adding to her own rich legacy of music that adds contemporary activism to the traditional music roots that have with Seeger nearly her entire life. In 2007, Seeger released Two Score and Ten, a live concert recording featuring her brothers, Waterson:Carthy, Billy Bragg and others in honor of her 70th birthday.