Folk Musician Mike Seeger Dies at Age 75

Member of Seeger Family Founded New Lost City Ramblers

Aug 8, 2009

Mike Seeger, one of the most important figures of the American Folk Revival, has died at his home in Lexington, VA, USA.

Folk musician Mike Seeger, whose band the New Lost City Ramblers was integral to the resurgence of “Old Time String Music” during the American Folk Revival of the 1960s, has passed away Friday Aug 7th at age 75 from Cancer (Mike Seeger Dead: npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111690155&ps=cprs).

Member of Storied Seeger Family

Mike Seeger was a member of what is often referred to as the “First Family of Folk.” His half brother is Pete Seeger, one of the most important figures in all American, and perhaps World music. His sister is Peggy Seeger, also a folk singer, especially well known in England along with her late husband, folk singer Ewan MacColl.

Mike’s father was noted folklorist and musicologist Charles Seeger, who often collaborated with John and Alan Lomax. His mother, Ruth Crawford-Seeger, was a composer and music scholar, “a pivotal figure in avant-garde music during the 1920‘s and 30‘s (depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/isam/rcstraus.html).”

Mike Seeger and the New Lost City Ramblers

In 1958, just before the height of the American Folk Revival, Mike Seeger, banjoist Tom Paley, and musicologist John Cohen formed the New Lost City Ramblers. The New Lost City Ramblers were “the first of the truly conscious revival string bands to explore the many avenues of their roots” (Lornell, Kip. The NPR Curious Listeners Guide to American Folk. P. 60).

Unlike many bands of the time, the New Lost City Ramblers actively researched old time music by going to the source-- the musicians that created it. Through field recordings, interviews, and scouring forgotten Smithsonian archives, the New Lost City Ramblers played “straight” unsanitzed old time music as it was originally played.

As Ronald Lankford says in his book Folk Music USA, “they had come to spread the gospel of twenties and thirties string-band music.”

Though the New Lost City Ramblers never formally broke up, each member went on to their own projects. Seeger continued to play with a variety of musicians, as well as releasing his own albums. In the 1970’s he formed Strange Creek Singers with Ramblers bandmate Tracy Schwartz, who replaced Paley in 1962 (Lornell, Kip. The NPR Curious Listeners Guide to American Folk. Pp.128-129).

Mike Seeger’s Contribution To Folk Music

Many modern old-time and bluegrass musicians were first exposed to the sound through the music of Mike Seeger and the New Lost City Ramblers.

Mike Seeger also has the honor of saying the author’s favorite quote about Folk Music. When asked what genres fall under Folk Music, Seeger replied “all the music that fits between the cracks (Lornell, Kip. The NPR Curious Listeners Guide to American Folk. Introduction).”

The copyright of the article Folk Musician Mike Seeger Dies at Age 75 in Bluegrass Music is owned by Craig Sanders. Permission to republish Folk Musician Mike Seeger Dies at Age 75 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.