Mike Seeger Research Guide: Seeger Family Influence

Born in New York City on August 15, 1933, Mike Seeger grew up surrounded by acclaimed musicians and scholars. His father, Charles Seeger, was an ethnomusicologist who taught at Berkeley, Juilliard, The New School, UCLA, and Yale. As a result of the New Deal during the Great Depression, Charles held a government position in the music division of the Resettlement Administration in Washington, D.C. There, Charles collected field recordings of traditional music to accurately preserve the heritage of the rural workers displaced from their farms. Pioneered by John and Alan Lomax, field recordings such as these contributed to the catalog the Library of Congress created for American folk music and served as the primary source material for many folk revivalists, including Mike.

Charles Seeger’s first marriage to violinist Constance de Clyver Edson produced Mike’s half brothers: Charles III (1912), John (1914), and, most notably, Pete (1919). Pete Seeger was at the forefront of the early folk revival scene by popularizing traditional ballads with the Weavers and became known for his outwardly political persona. Charles’ second marriage to composer, pianist, and first female recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, Ruth Porter Crawford, furthered the Seeger family’s dedication to documenting folk music. Ruth stopped composing and turned to folk song transcription for the Lomaxes in order to raise the four children she had with Charles: Mike (1933), Peggy (1935), Barbara (1937), and Penny (1943). Peggy would also become an esteemed folk singer in England, and Penny would later marry Mike’s bandmate from the New Lost City Ramblers, John Cohen. Although Mike rejected the formal musical training of his parents, their scholarship cultivated his passion for learning and perfecting the style of old-time music. Mike became proficient at playing the fiddle, banjo, guitar, autoharp, mandolin, harmonica, jaw harp, panpipes, and more.

The radical reputation of the Seeger family, perpetuated mainly by the actions of Charles and Pete, would follow Mike his entire career. While teaching at Berkeley, Charles advocated for local labor groups and expressed his dissatisfaction with the United States' involvement in World War I. Pete, on the other hand, was a member of the Communist Party, and his appearance in front of the House of Un-American Activities Committee excluded him from many public performances throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. When other folk artists pulled out of events to support Pete, Mike continued his shows to educate people on the value of old-time music. Pete was also active in the Civil Rights Movement, even taking part in turning the gospel song “We Shall Overcome” into an anthem. Unlike his father and brother, Mike claimed his interpretation of folk music was not political. During his sets, Mike focused on demonstrating his technique and knowledge of old-time music rather than sharing a message with his audience. However, Mike’s preservation of old-time music proved to be a voiced representation of the southern Appalachian lives described in his performances.

In 1970, Mike married musician Alice Gerrard from the female bluegrass duo Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard. Knowing each other from the folk music circuit since 1956, Mike and Alice became a couple after the death of Alice’s husband in 1964 and the end of Mike’s marriage with Marjorie Ostrow in 1966. They raised Alice's four children and Mike’s three children from their previous marriages together. Due to their shared interest in old-time music, Mike and Alice collaborated on performances, recordings, and projects, such as the formation of the Strange Creek Singers. Alice’s bluegrass skills expanded Seeger’s own to go beyond old-time and traditional music and explore other avenues of the genre. The couple separated from each other in 1981.