he is the man who told woody guthrie, "woody guthrie, your mission in life is to write songs.g distract you. you are like the people who wrote the ballads of robin hood and the ballad of jesse james. you keep writing ballads as long as you can." woody took it to heart. he was not a good husband. he was always running off, but he wrote songs. >> do you remember when he first met woody guthrie? >> i'll never forget it. it was a benefit concert for california agricultural workers midnight.y post up at burl ives was there, the golden gate quartet, josh white, leadbelly, a square dance group with my wife dancing in it. i sang one song very immature shall he and retired and confusion to a smattering of polite applause. woody took over and for 20 minutes, entranced everyone cannot does was singing, but storytelling. "i come from oklahoma, you know. it's a rich state. he was some oil, go down in the ground and get some oil. if you want lead, we've got let in oklahoma. go down in a hole and get you some lead. if you want coal, we got: oklahoma. if you want food, clothing, groceries, ju

along the way he sang with woody guthrie and a group called the weavers. ♪ good night irene good nighte you in my dreams ♪ >> he came up in a generation using music for social change. ♪ we shall overcome >> in his hands, "we shall overcome" became an anthem for an era. ♪ we shall overcome >> seeger sang for children and adults, both serious and light. he was able to mock the ticky tacky little boxes of suburban sprawl. ♪ little boxes made of ticky tacky ♪ >> and he famously set scripture to music. ♪ a time to be born a time to die ♪ ♪ a time to plan a time to read ♪ >> he once briefly belonged to the communist party, something he later regretted. and during the black listing years, he got in trouble with congress and the courts and narrowly avoided jail. he was an influence to so many, bob dylan is often mentioned. so is bruce springsteen, whose 2006 album "we shall overcome" the seeing seeger sessions was the ultimate tribute. >> three years later, seeger and springsteen teamed up at president obama's inauguration. ♪ this land is your land this land is my land ♪ >> decades ago, pete s

son of musicians, seeger would drop out of harvard to ride the freight trains with folk legend woody guthriem to write the words on his banjo. "this machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender." >> he had a sign on his guitar saying, "this machine kills fascists." i wanted to have something a little more peaceful. >> reporter: but he carried that banjo into many battles. in his support for workers' rights, seeger, for a time, embraced communism. >> ♪ good night, irene good night" >> reporter: after "good night irene," his song with the weavers, hit number one, seeger was blacklisted and later convicted of contempt of court when he refused to testify before the house un-american activities committee. how did you feel in the midst of all this when you were being blacklisted? >> oh, it was a joke. >> reporter: his conviction was later overturned. in an interview for cbs "sunday morning," seeger was still defiant. >> all it did was give me free publicity and sell more tickets anthony mason, cbs news, los angeles. >> ♪ this land was made for you and me ♪ >> pelley: and that's our western ed

in civil rights implement a woody guthrie is this land is your land was central to his concerts. in nineteen ninety six seater was inducted into the us rock and roll hall of fame honored for his early influence on popular music. and pete seeger never stop performing whether firing up a crowd of students. for with an all star chance at his ninetieth birthday party in new york's madison square garden. icon of american folk music. not only to gun that's all from us when our thinking to much for joining us stay with us the air which statistics you know. you know the too much the us. now on dvd. low wall. a man. use. a new. i eye changing one's mind is the world's first jewish teachers. the peace process was for many years. twenty oh eight in its brightness of this trial. what i'm talking to fit into. i know. i might add with a white woman. about that. i watched it. i'm quite sure. i might as well as some buttons. each. you knew you when will you will. it is six one. what she knew was with brian got some of the chevron bp a lot. the european court of human rights rules the irish studi

like you're supposed to be our woody guthrie and you sold out. ♪ how does it feel to be on your own ♪opular music. ♪ >> it was obvious to me and the hollies that we had a responsibility as artists to reflect our world around us, and we utilized our music to be able to reach people. >> pop musicians in today's generation are in a fantastic position. they can rule the world. why don't we do more of it? >> we can stop world wars before they ever started. >> i disagree. >> you know who starts world wars? people that are over 40. >> really? >> that conversation was unstoppable. you couldn't shut it down. ♪ >> i think ray davies and pete townshend from the who were the two social commentators. ♪ talking about my generation ♪ ♪ don't you all fade away talking about my generation ♪ >> a new political move, nation to nation, is really to try and break down these barriers between people. >> all of them were obsessively listening to one another, and what became the game was, who can take rock 'n' roll some place more interesting. ♪ ♪ if i needed someone to love, you're the one that i'd be thinki

this year the award will go to a, woody allen, b, woody harrelson, c, woody guthrie, or d, woody woodpecker> it is all you. >> woody allen. >> yes. >> oh, my gosh. >> what is going on? i have been useless to you. i apologize. >> that's all right. that's all right. that's all right. all right. the hollywood foreign press association has selected a miss golden globe, responsible for assisting and handing out the awards. who is this year's miss golden globe, kylie jenner -- >> miss bacon. >> yes, correct. >> oh, my gosh. >> yes. >> do you have another question? >> no, there is five questions. >> i don't know. >> you won. you won. >> you won. >> what did you get? >> for winning, you get kathie lee's cd and hoda's book. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, tim. >> a lot of props to you, by the way. >> if your biggest obstacle to reach your goal is you, we have words of wisdom for finally achieving your success. >> that's right after this. i'm so sorry, baby. our daughter is all kate. they have the same walk. the same grin. and the same beautiful hair. with nice 'n easy, get the most natural

. >> they felt betrayed, like you're supposed to be our woody guthrie, you know, you sold out. >> how brothers and we all are free ♪ >> it was obvious to me and the hollies that we had a responsibility as artists to reflect our world around us, and we utilized our music to be able to reach people. >> pop musicians in today's generation are in a fantastic position. they can rule the world. >> well, i don't argue -- >> they could rule the world, so why don't we do more of it? we can stop world wars before they ever started. >> i disagree. >> you know who starts world wars? people that are over 40. >> really? >> that conversation was unstoppable. you couldn't shut it down. ♪ he's oh so good and he's oh so fine and he's oh so healthy in his body and his mind ♪ >> i think ray davies from the kinks and pete townshend from the who were the two social commentators. ♪ people try to put us down, talking about my generation ♪ ♪ just because we get around, talking about my generation ♪ ♪ hope i die before i get old, talking about my generation, it's my generation ♪ ♪ it's my generation, baby, don

>> well, he is tight up there with woody guthrie, in bringing conscience to popular american music.sang about civil rights. he sang about peace, and he sang about cleaning up the environment, and those are elements that are of the best in american music. >> what surprised me what surprised me is that he was 94, the songs are just as fresh today as they were ever in the 50's. not of course that i remember them in the 50's, but i was told about them. basically his belief is in the power of community, would that be a fair summary? >> yeah, and his stamina was remarkable. he risked two albums in 2011, he performed at occupy wall street. he in 2012, he appeared on the cold bear report. which has regions of young viewers. so he not only stayed -- he not only kept performing he stays relevant and fresh. through his entire life. >> he also stayed optimistic, didn't he? because he was reviled. >> yeah. >> by some in the 50's, i know he is protests about vietnam was banned. but all the way through he smiled and i suppose that's a lesson for a lot of people. >> he did. and some of the causes t

he was a gifted story teller and learned at the feet of a master, woody guthrie. >> when i first heard-- ♪ i said, that's just too simple. >> reporter: seeger's career as mainstream performer with the weavers was ended with a red scare. he was black listed end sent to jail for refusing to answer questions about former ties with the communist party. he reemerged with protest music. his song became the anthem of the civil rights movement. another he wrote in 1962 to protest the vietnam war, still resonated 43 years later in a concert against the war in iraq. ♪ where have all the flowers gone ♪ >> reporter: songs, he once said, are weapons. a sentiment spelled out on his banjo which said this machine surround hate and forces it to surrender. seeger did not surrender. a singer activist well into his 80s. musician bruce springsteen said he reawakened the lost voices of america. linsey davis, abc news. >> here is a footnote, pete seeger at 94 was singing until just a few months ago. here he is at farm aid. you might recognize faces. there's john cougar mel an camp, willie nelson. >> 94. he d

actually singing woody guthrie's "this land is your land," but from his pen came "if i had a hammer" and "where have all the flowers gone?" he wrote so many wonderful songs and was a frequent face, too, of rallies and protests and special events for more than seven decades, even performing on the stechtz lincoln memorial for president obama's first inauguration. pete seeger, a true, true legend, was 94. >> i can remember singing his songs, especially his children's songs at summer camps and stuff, around the campfire. i mean, he's somebody who, wow, a real american treasure. >>> all right, coming up, olympic fears, a shocking statement from u.s. hockey officials about whether players will head to the games. we are live with the very latest. >>> and horror inside a high school cafeteria. a student set on fire. new developments this morning right after the break. are you ready grandma? just a second, sweetie. [ female announcer ] we eased your back pain, you turned up the fun. tylenol® provides strong pain relief while being gentle on your stomach. but for everything we do, we know you

. >> some of you may know his name of woody guthrie. >> he helped bring folk music to the main streamguthrie and landed on the charts with the weavers. ♪ >> his songs include classics like "where have the flowers gone?" and "if i had a hammer" later covered by dolly parton and franklin. after releasing 100 reports and influencing the music world, he may not be remembered for what he sang but why he sang. ♪ >> pioneer of contemporary american folk music. so much to credit him with. >> a good, long life. let's take a break. coming up next on "new day," critical dw critical developments of the shooting death of a former star. now a second grand jury has handed down its decision. details on that ahead. ♪ led to the one jobhing you always wanted. at university of phoenix, we believe every education- not just ours- should be built around the career that you want. imagine that. is your tv powered by coal? natural gas? nuclear? or renewables like solar... and wind? let's find out. this is where america's electricity comes from. a diversity of energy sources helps ensure the electricity we nee

this land >> brown: seeger got his start in the late 1930's, and by 1940, he was performing with woody guthriehe almanac singers >> i had a good ear and i could accompany him on anything. i didn't have to hear it once. the first time i heard it i could hear a chord change coming and i didn't play anything fancy. i just gave him a good solid backing. i didn't try and play fancy breaks or anything. ♪ irene goodnight >> brown: after world war two, seeger helped form the weavers, the group that gave rise to a folk music revival across the u.s. along the way, he joined the communist party, then renounced it. but in 1955, he confronted the house un-american activities committee and was blacklisted for ten years. liberal activism, to a series of instead, he played for college crowds and, in later life, said it was the high point of his career. >> i tell people nobody can prove a thing but obviously if i didn't think music could help save the human race, i wouldn't be making music. >> brown: as the 1960's dawned, seeger turned his music, and liberal activism, to a series of causes, from social justice

turn turn turn >> reporter: he was a gifted story teller and he learned at the feet of a master, woody guthrie ♪ this land is your land this land is my land ♪ >> reporter: his performance with the weavers was stopped by the red scare and he was black listed and asked about his former ties with the communist party. he re-emerged as a pioneer of protest music. his song became the anthem of the civil rights movement. another that he wrote in 1962 to protest the vietnam war still resonated 43 years later in a concert against the war in iraq. ♪ where have all the flowers gone ♪ >> reporter: songs, he once said, are weapons. a sentiment spelled out on his banjo which said, this machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender. ♪ all my life's a circle >> reporter: seeger did not surrender. a singer/actor well into his 80s. bruce string steen said, he reawakened the lost voices of america. ♪ linsey davis, abc news. >> here's an amazing footnote for you. pete seeger, 94, was performing just until a few months ago. here is he singing "this land is your land" at a farm aid concert last year. you might

." >> he was a gifted atory teller and he under at the feet of a master, woody guthrie. >> when i first >> i said that's just too simple. ♪ this land is your land >> he was black lifted and sent to jail for refusing to answer question about his former ties with the communist party, reemerged as a pioneer of protest music. ♪ we have overcome someday." >> his song became the anthem of the civil rights movement. another that he wrote during the vietnam war. ♪ where have all the knowers gone ♪ >> his banjo red this man surrounds hate and forces it to surrender. >> seger did not surrender, a singer activist well into his 80's, music bruce springsteen said he reawakened the lost voices of america. ♪ >> the black listing kept him off of american television for more than a decade in the 1950's and 1960's, but his career continued to thrive. he kept performing up until the avery end. >> president obama will deliver his state of the union address tonight. that. >> ice from the arctic blast expected to cause serious issues in the south, several states canceling school and flights canceled, as well