Died On This Date (June 6, 2015) Ronnie Gilbert / Folk Music Great; The Weavers
themusicsover Ronnie Gilbert
September 7, 1926 – June 6, 2015
Simply put, Ronnie Gilbert was folk music royalty. Along with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Fred Hellerman, Gilbert formed the Weavers in 1948. Based in the folk mecca of New York’s Greenwich Village, the band was arguably the most influential folk group the scene had ever produced. Artists and activists like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi & Richard Farina, and Peter, Paul & Mary were all products of the folk revival they kicked off by putting a contemporary spin on folk music. The band gained popularity, mostly by word of mouth, while their songs resonated with so-called progressive causes like civil rights and workers’ rights. Their recordings of “If I Had a Hammer,” “This Land is Your Land,” and “Goodnight Irene” – among many others – became folk music standards. During the 1950s, the Weavers became a victim of the “Red Scare,” causing them to become blacklisted from radio stations, television and beyond. Due to a lack of bookings and recording opportunities that followed, the band broke up. But in 1955, they reunited for a much-heralded performance at Carnegie Hall, which lead to renewed interest in their music. The group continued on, though with Erik Darling replacing Seeger, over the next decade before calling it quits again. Gilbert went on to enjoy a career in theater as well as as a solo recording artist. In 1980, the surviving Weavers reunited once again to a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Ronnie Gilbert was 88 when she passed away on June 6, 2015
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