Hellerman was an original member of the seminal American folk group The Weavers, together with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Ronnie Gilbert.
In 1950, Hellerman was named, along with the rest of the Weavers, in the anti-communist tract Red Channels and was placed on the industry blacklist.
[5] The group, unable to perform on television, radio, or in most music halls, broke up in 1952, but resumed singing in 1955.
Hellerman, using the pseudonym Fred Brooks, adapted "Green Grow the Lilacs" for Harry Belafonte's 1959 album, Love is a Gentle Thing.
The song, rooted in a traditional Irish tune popular in the 19th century United States, received new lyrics with two original verses penned by Hellerman, who also reworked the chorus.