The Weavers

In this episode we examine the quartet, The Weavers, the folk group Pete Seeger formed with Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman and Ronnie Gilbert in 1949-1950. We go into detail with the founding of the group, their musical style and approach, and their initial pop success with the songs "Tzena Tzena" and "Goodnight Irene". We then investigate how the FBI, Counterattack, and other opportunistic individuals and institutions conspired to cancel the group from show business by labeling them as Communists during the peak of the Blacklist in the early-mid 1950s.