Woody Guthrie
| Woody Guthrie | |
|---|---|
Guthrie with guitar labeled
"This machine kills fascists" (1943) |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Woodrow Wilson Guthrie |
| Born |
July 14, 1912 Okemah, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | October 3, 1967 (aged 55) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Folk, protest music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1930–1956 |
| Associated acts | Almanac Singers |
| Notable instruments | |
|
|
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie (/ˈɡʌθri/; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter and musician whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, and children's songs, along with ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This machine kills fascists displayed on his guitar. His best-known song is "This Land Is Your Land". Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. Songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Hunter, Harry Chapin, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, Andy Irvine, Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, Jerry Garcia, Jay Farrar, Bob Weir, Jeff Tweedy, Bob Childers, Sammy Walker and Tom Paxton have acknowledged Guthrie as a major influence.
Many of his songs are about his experiences in the Dust Bowl era during the Great Depression when he traveled with displaced farmers from Oklahoma to California and learned their traditional folk and blues songs, earning him the nickname the "Dust Bowl Troubadour". Throughout his life Guthrie was associated with United States Communist groups, though he was seemingly not a member of any.
...
Wikipedia