AP WAS THERE: Pete Seeger's HUAC testimony

2014/01/29 15:08:13 @Entertainment News Headlines — Yahoo! News

EDITOR & #039;S NOTE — On Aug. 18, 1955, The Associated Press reported that Pete Seeger and others testified before a House Un-American Activities Committee hearing in New York investigating alleged communist activities in the entertainment industry. Seeger, then 36, refused to answer any questions about his & quot;associations, philosophy or religion. & quot; That refusal led to his conviction for contempt of Congress in 1961; the conviction was later overturned. Reporting on the 1955 hearing, the AP described Seeger as a & quot;lanky man wearing a brown suit, plaid shirt and yellow tie & quot; who called himself a & quot;banjo picker. & quot; He told the committee: & quot;I have sung to many audiences. I have sung in hobo jungles and I & #039;ve sung for the Rockefellers. I & #039;ve never refused to sing for anybody. That & #039;s the only answer I can give. I & #039;m proud I & #039;ve sung for Americans of every political persuasion. & quot; Fifty-nine years after its original publication, the AP is making this report of the HUAC hearing, which includes Seeger & #039;s comments, available.
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