Music Festival to Honor Music Legend

Forty years of music environmental activism will be celebrated in Long Branch at the annual Clearwater Festival on Saturday, September 13th. The event will pay tribute the life of late folk and protest music legend Pete Seeger, who died on January 27th, 2014 at the age of 94.

Seeger co-founded New Jersey Friends of Clearwater along with fellow folk singer Bob Killian, the sponsors of the free music festival. NJ Friends Of Clearwater Secretary Lynn Humphrey said they're a completely volunteer run, grassroots, nonprofit organization that was founded in 1974 and is an offshoot of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

"And it has been actively educating children and adults about clean and clear water and to urge citizens about being responsible for the waters," said Humphrey.

The purposed of the one-day event is to raise awareness about the group, said Humphrey. This year's festival will feature 25 local and national music artists on three stages, vendors, kids activities and panel discussions about environmental justice. They're also hoping to unveil a new boat that was donated to them.

Volunteers are needed for the festival along with event sponsors, vendors and even donors. Get more information at: njclearwater.org or call 732-784-8547 or email: info@njclearwater.org.  The also have a Facebook Page.

The Clearwater Music Festival takes place on Saturday, September 13th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Great Lawn at the Promenade.

Seeger is well known for songs such as "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and for "Turn, Turn, Turn," music set to verses from Ecclesiastes, one of the books of Solomon. His songs addressed not only environmental activism but also civil rights and the labor movement. Seeger and his wife also launched the Hudson River Sloop "Clear Water" that sailed along the Hudson and brought attention to industrial chemical dumping.