The world lost a major figure in American arts and activism on January 27. Pete Seeger, who revolutionized through music, passed away at the age of ninety-four.

At the Smithsonian, Seeger’s musical legacy is preserved on dozens of Smithsonian Folkways albums, which span seven decades, and he was instrumental in the Smithsonian’s acquisition of Folkways Records in 1987.

In 1959, Seeger co-founded the annual Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, along with jazz producer George Wein, actor Theodore Bikel, folk singer Oscar Brand, and folk music manager Albert Grossman. Throughout his life, he served as a regular volunteer at the festival, which was a major source of inspiration for the founders of the first Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1967.

Seeger performed and participated in several Smithsonian Folklife Festivals on the National Mall, including the 1970 Festival, the 1982 Oklahoma Tribute to Woody Guthrie concert, and the 1995 Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert.

True to Seeger’s mission in music, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival continues to carry on the spirit of community engagement—spotlighting music, arts, and voices of the people, by the people, for the people.

For more stories, photos, and videos about Pete Seeger’s extraordinary life, see the Smithsonian Folkways Tribute to Pete Seeger.

Click on images to enlarge and view captions.

Pete Seeger of The Weavers performs at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois. January 13, 1958.

Photo by Robert Malone. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger performs at a Sing Out! Lead Belly Concert. New York Town Hall, New York City. Date unknown.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger performs at a Sing Out! Lead Belly Concert. New York Town Hall, New York City. Date unknown.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger performs with Bernice Johnson Reagon at a Lead Belly Concert sponsored by Sing Out! Magazine. New York Town Hall, New York City. Date unknown.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger listens during a 1964 Newport Folk Festival workshop.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger performs at a anti-war rally at Madison Square Garden. New York City, New York. December 8, 1966.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger performs at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Bernice Johnson Reagon and Pete Seeger perform during the Poor People's Campaign in Washington, D.C. May-June 1968.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger (lower left) participating in the Poor People's March with Rev. Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick (center). Washington, D.C. 1968.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

People march in an anti-war rally in New York City. Pete Seeger and his daughter Tinya can be seen in the center of the photo. April 27, 1968.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

People march in an anti-war rally in New York City. Pete Seeger and his daughter Tinya can be seen in the center of the photo, behind the men who are holding hands. April 27, 1968.

Photo by Diana Davies. Courtesy of Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger performs at the 1970 Festival of American Folklife.

Courtesy of Bill Pierce.

Pete Seeger performs at the 1970 Festival of American Folklife.

Courtesy of Bill Pierce.

Pete Seeger performs at a concert in Baird Auditorium, the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, in Fall 1996.

Photo by Jeff Tinsley. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger and Ella Jenkins perform in a concert in Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Fall 1996.

Photo by Jeff Tinsley. Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Pete Seeger at his home in Beacon, New York. November 3, 2005.

Photo by Bruce Mondschain. Courtesy of Bruce Mondschain.

Pete Seeger plays his banjo at his home in Beacon, N.Y. November 3, 2005.

Photo by Bruce Mondschain. Courtesy of Bruce Mondschain.

Pete Seeger's famous signature

Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Elisa Hough is the editor and writer for the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.