Almanac Singers | |
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Origin | New York City |
Genres | Folk |
Years active | 1940–1942/1943 |
Labels | Keynote, Almanac Records, General, Asch, Stinson |
Past members | Woody Guthrie Lee Hays Millard Lampell Pete Seeger Sis Cunningham Peter Hawes Baldwin "Butch" Hawes Bess Lomax Hawes Cisco Houston Arthur Stern Josh White Jackie Alper Burl Ives Jaime Lowden Sam Gary Charles Polacheck |
The Almanac Singers was an American New York City-based folk music group, active between 1940 and 1943, founded by Millard Lampell, Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, and were joined by Woody Guthrie. The group specialized in topical songs, mostly songs advocating an anti-war, anti-racism and pro-union philosophy. They were part of the Popular Front, an alliance of liberals and leftists, including the Communist Party USA (whose slogan, under their leader Earl Browder, was "Communism is twentieth century Americanism"), who had vowed to put aside their differences in order to fight fascism and promote racial and religious inclusiveness and workers' rights. The Almanac Singers felt strongly that songs could help achieve these goals.[citation needed]