Joseph McCarthy and endured a blacklisting he simply shrugged away. He met Woody Guthrie, Alan Lomax and Lead Belly, and began to advocate for migrant workers and miners in the 1940s. Seeger’s voice first rose in the 1930s against Hitler. But his presence, in a crowd of nearly 1,000 with guitar players and chanting sign-holders and police swirling around, gave the new protest movement something it seemed to lack over the last month.Ī momentary clarity, longtime friend Guy Davis thinks, a purpose. This time around, Seeger was carried along by two canes, not the sound of his banjo. Even time seems to have taken a step back in deference to the musical rabble-rouser’s resolve and determination. Today, Pete Seeger is approaching the far end of a life lived walking hand in hand with American history, often at odds with the government that runs things. You take any one of Bob Dylan’s songs and you get to the heart of the matter where it took Homer volumes and volumes of books to get to the same point.' 'It can cross rivers of meaning that entire books can’t get across. 'Music does something to you,' Rodriguez-Seeger said. The causes and movements have changed from time to time over 75 years, but his message has always been the same: Song is the key to understanding and change. That moment affirmed the message that his grandfather has preached tirelessly across nine decades. This is beautiful,’' Rodriguez-Seeger said. 'He shook my hand and said, ‘Thank you, thank you. The officer reached for his hand and he readied for the cuffs. Rodriguez-Seeger was certain arrest was imminent.

'Was this your idea? Did you think of this?' 'Are you Tao Seeger?' the officer asked tersely. Suddenly a New York City police officer stepped from the crowd and grabbed his elbow.

Tao Rodriguez-Seeger was halfway through Friday night’s march down Broadway to support the Occupy Wall Street movement, a guitar strapped over his shoulder and his grandfather Pete Seeger at his side.

Tao seeger