Ronnie Gilbert, who with Pete Seeger, Fred Hellerman & Lee Hayes formed The Weavers in 1947 has passed away in Mill Valley, California at age 88. Ronnie’s rich alto and her strong progressive values have shaped many a singer for decades. She recorded with Holly Near most recently and I have seen her with the Raging Grannies in front of military recruitment stations at the end of the Vietnam era. Most recently, she was honored by Kitka in their latest concert at the Freight and Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley. She didn’t sing at that event, but she came to the podium and read an eloquent piece she had written honoring women and struggle. She was a trained actor as well as a trained singer. She was an inspiration and one of my “she-roes”. Luckily, the music of The Weavers has been reissued & can still be heard on CD and their concert at Carnegie Hall is still available on DVD. While all four of the Weavers (and Guy carawan, of Highlander Folk school) have passed into history the music they brought us is vibrant and alive to inspire future generations.