The Resume

(1947-1963)
Formed in Greenwich Village, New York City
Original Members:
Pete Seeger (May 3, 1919- )
Lee Hays (March 14, 1914-August 26, 1981)
Ronnie Gilbert (September 7, 1926- )
Fred Hellerman (May 13, 1927- )
Seeger left in 1958, replaced by Eric Darling (September 25, 1933- )
Darling left in 1962, replaced by Frank Hamilton (August 3, 1934- )
Hamilton left in 1963, replaced by Bernie Krause (December 8, 1938- )
Recorded the singles ‘Goodnight Irene' (1950), ‘Tzena Tzena Tzena' (1950), ‘So Long (It's Been Good to Know Yuh)' (1951), ‘On Top of Old Smokey' (1951), ‘Kisses Sweeter Than Wine' (1951) and ‘Wimoweh' (1952)
Recorded the albums ‘The Weavers at Carnegie Hall' (1956) and ‘Reunion at Carnegie Hall' (1963)
Reunion of the original line-up was filmed for the documentary ‘Wasn't That a Time!' (1981)

Why they might be annoying:

They were accused by fellow leftists of ‘selling out' because they did not record the more overtly political songs in their repertoire.
Folk purists objected to their use of strings and brass on songs like ‘Goodnight Irene.'
Anti-Communist protests outside their concerts became so frequent they had trouble getting bookings.
They took credit for writing the song ‘Wimoweh' (which later became the hit ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight') even though it was a version of the song ‘Mbube' written by South African Solomon Linda.

Why they might not be annoying:

They were victims of the McCarthy-era blacklist, which led to their original break-up.
Their 1955 reunion at Carnegie Hall occurred only because the Hall's management was unaware of the controversy surrounding the group.
They set the stage for the folk music revival of the early 1960s.
Carl Sandburg wrote, ‘When I hear America singing, the Weavers are there.'
When they received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammies (2006), Hellerman said, ‘You can outlast your enemies with your honor and your dignity intact.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Billboard Top Single of the Year (Ranked: 1950)
• Blacklisted
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 02]
• Folk Singers
• Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (Ranked: 2006)
• I Covered a Lead Belly Song
• I Covered 'House of the Rising Sun'
• I Covered 'If I Had A Hammer'
• I Recorded 'Lion Sleeps Tonight'
• Known By a Single Name
• Look at My Guitar
• My Song was Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (Ranked: 1998)
• Profiles 19251-19500 (Ranked: 19403)
• Stacker’s Most Controversial Song from the Year You Were Born (Ranked: 1950)
• The Chipmunks Covered My Song

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 20 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 17 Votes: 47.06% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 14 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 22 Votes: 63.64% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 28 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 45 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 76 Votes: 71.05% Annoying
In 2006, Out of 32 Votes: 50.0% Annoying