A few days ago we reported on the letter that local music lover Kim Alexander received from Pete Seeger just one day after the iconic folksinger’s death. To recap: Alexander, who hosts a monthly jam session at Old Ironsides, wrote Seeger, mailing him a copy of her “20 Tips for Jamming with Friends.”
That was in August 2013. Seeger died Monday, January 27. On Tuesday, January 28 Alexander checked her mailbox, only to find a letter from the singer, postmarked two days before his death.
Seeger used Alexander’s original letter to write his own note of encouragement to her. Kind of a big deal, really–especially if you consider that this could very well be the last piece of correspondence he ever sent.
Seems like Smithsonian Folkways Recordings feels the same way. Word has it that someone at the nonprofit label, part of the Smithsonian Institute, heard about the story and has shared it with one of the label’s archivists. It may be a while before it’s known if anything comes of that but in the meantime, NPR’s All Things Considered also learned of Alexander’s letter and contacted her for an interview.
The whole thing just underscores Seeger’s message to Alexander to continue sharing her love for music.
“It’s been fun and amazing to see how touched people are,” Alexander said of reaction to the story.
The show airs locally on Capital Public Radio, 90.9 FM starting at 3:30 p.m. Tune in.