Following the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, Pete Seeger Wrote a Letter to Bob Dylan Clearing His Name

One of the biggest controversies in music history is when Bob Dylan went electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. This moment not only marked a major moment in music history, but also a major moment in social history. In a sense, Dylan’s transition away from political folk music made people feel as if he was abandoning the greater causes at hand. In addition to the greater societal conflict this move entailed, it also entailed a lot of personal controversy between Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger.

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Allegedly, when Bob Dylan went electric, Peter Seeger quickly located the soundboard and cut the power to Dylan’s performance. As a matter of fact, Seeger once stated regarding the matter that he “was so mad [he] said ‘damn if I had an axe I’d cut the cable right now,’” per Democracy Now.

However, according to a letter Seeger wrote to Bob Dylan in the 90s, he never tried to cut the power. Rather, he simply tried to get the sound technicians to produce a clearer sound so the audience members could hear the words of Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm”.

The Transparent Letter Pete Seeger Wrote to Dylan

Pete Seeger wrote his letter to Bob Dylan in the 90s, and it is currently on display at the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The letter is so important because its contents clear the air surrounding the controversy. Well, it does so from Seeger’s perspective. Regardless, Seeger’s anecdote seemingly sheds some truth on a story that has been blown out of proportion ever since it transpired in 1965.

“Bob! Someone just told me that you too think I didn’t like your ‘going electric’ in 1965,” Seeger wrote in his letter. “I’ve denied that so many times—I was furious at the distorted sound—No one could understand the words of ‘Maggie’s Farm’ and I clashed over to the people controlling the PA system. ‘No, this is the way they want’—They said. I shouted, ‘If I had an axe, I’d cut the cable,’ and I guess that is what got quoted.”

“I shoulda said ‘Howling Wolf goes electric, why can’t Bob?’” he continued. “In any case, you keep on. Best, Pete.”

Despite the apparent bias people could tie to this story, Seeger’s letter does not diminish his faults in the matter. Rather, he does take responsibility, so it might be fair to assume that he is telling the full truth. Regardless, here is another version of one of the most historic nights in rock history.

Photo by Brian Shuel/Redferns