The story behind the March on Washington soundtrack

Joan Baez and Bob Dylan at the March

We all know music was essential to the civil rights movement, but what is it like to be the musician who opens for Martin Luther King Jr?

After I performed and did my part, Dylan and I walked away and we were just walking around and we were kind of sitting on the edge of one of the monuments behind the Lincoln Memorial smoking, just continuing to talk. Then we started hearing Martin doing the ‘I have a dream’ section of his speech and we just said, hold up, hold up, listen to this, listen to this dude blow, man. This is wonderful. – Len Chandler

Below, folk musician and Los Angeles resident Len Chandler talks about what it was like to play at the March on Washington in 1963.

Ross Altman, an activist, music historian and musician talked to Warren on Which Way, LA? in studio about the significance of music at the March. He then picked up his guitar to sing a version of the famous civil rights song, “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize.” Listen to that below.

Altman will present folk music from the March on Washington this weekend at the Allendale Branch Library in Pasadena.