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The Weavers were formed in the late 1940s by Hellerman along with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Ronnie Gilbert. They helped to popularize folk music in the United States with recordings including "Goodnight Irene" and "On Top of Old Smoky." The group disbanded after they were black-listed by anti-Communists in the early 1950s, but performed again into the 1960s and then at a reunion concert at Carnegie Hall in 1980.



Hellerman also produced Arlo Guthire's 1967 record, "Alice's Restaurant," and worked with several artists over his career as a composer, arranger and songwriter.