Sing Out! Magazine (1952) – Leadbelly, Robeson & the Troubadour | 3-Issue Lot from the Folk Revival’s Radical Heart

Description

Sing Out! was born in 1950 from the same spirit that fueled the American folk revival — a people’s songbook with a conscience. Co-founded by Pete Seeger and rooted in leftist politics and labor movement energy, the magazine wasn’t just about music; it was a platform for protest, community, and change. Each issue blended traditional folk lyrics, original compositions, political commentary, and striking woodcut-style cover art. At a time when songs could get you blacklisted, Sing Out! gave voice to the silenced — featuring icons like Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, and Paul Robeson while preserving the grassroots pulse of American music. This was not just a magazine; it was a movement in print, a hymnal for the politically awake. Whether you played the songs or just read the stories, each issue is a time capsule of American resistance and soul.

This lot includes three powerful issues from Sing Out! Volume 2 — February, May, and June 1952 — each a snapshot of the magazine’s fearless voice during the Red Scare era. The February issue (Vol. 2, No. 8) features a bold woodcut portrait of Leadbelly, the legendary bluesman and folk hero whose songs of prison, poverty, and protest shaped American music. May’s issue (Vol. 2, No. 11) is dedicated “To Paul Robeson,” opening with a stark black cover and a searing poem by Nazim Hikmet — a poetic defense of Robeson’s voice and political courage. The June issue (Vol. 2, No. 12), titled “The Troubadour,” depicts a guitar-wielding figure marching with a crowd — a clear nod to the movement musicians like Pete Seeger embodied.

These issues aren’t just historical — they’re aesthetic objects, loaded with righteous energy, grassroots spirit, and rare early folk revival iconography.