Fred Hellerman passed away last Thursday at the age of 89. His New York Times obituary is here.
The 1951 video below may be the only filmed performance of the early Weavers, before they were blacklisted because of Pete Seeger's membership in the Communist Party. The first number, and their big hit, was Tzena Tzena, recorded when Israel was still popular with the American left. Beginning at 2:00, you can see one of Hellerman's rare guitar solos.
The Times obituary refers to Hellerman's guitar playing as "not flashy," but that may have been because he left most of the solo work to Seeger. But as you can see, he was actually quite good. As the great Weavers documentary put it, "Wasn't That a Time!" (Note the exclamation point rather than a question mark.)
More clips below:
When the Saints Go Marching In
The Frozen Logger
Union Miners