Lee Hays

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Lee Hays (born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 14 March 1914; died 26 August 1981) was an American folk-singer and songwriter best known for singing bass with pioneering folk band The Weavers. Throughout his life, he was concerned with overcoming racism, inequality, and violence in society. He wrote or co-wrote songs such as "Wasn't That a Time?", "If I Had a Hammer", and "Kisses Sweeter than Wine" that became Weavers' staples. He also familiarized audiences with songs of the 1930s labor movement, such as "We Shall Not Be Moved". Hays' music was informed to an extent by his role as a Methodist preacher and his firmly held religious beliefs. He was involved in trade unionism and subsequent collaborations with celebrated folk luminaries such as Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Pete Seeger. Moreover, he was accused (alongside the rest of The Weavers) of Communist sympathies, an accusation which ultimately spelled the end of the group given the fact that they were no longer allowed to perform live at most venues, nor on television or radio. In later life Hays appeared as a Reverand alongside Woody's son, Arlo Guthrie in the film Alice's Restaurant; co-formed a new group (The Baby Sitters) who wrote and performed children's songs, and devoted his later life to domesticity. Hays' death in 1981 followed several Weavers reunion shows, despite the amputation of both his legs as a result of diabetes. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional te

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