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Woody Guthrie

Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He inspired several generations both politically and musically with songs such as "This Land Is Your Land".

Guthrie wrote hundreds of country, folk, and children's songs, along with ballads and improvised works. Dust Bowl Ballads, Guthrie's album of songs about the Dust Bowl period, was included on Mojo magazine's list of 100 Records That Changed The World, and many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. Songwriters who have acknowledged Guthrie as a major influence on their work include Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Hunter, Harry Chapin, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, Andy Irvine, Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Jeff Tweedy, Tom Paxton, Brian Fallon, Sean Bonnette, and Sixto Rodríguez. He frequently performed with the message "This machine kills fascists" displayed on his guitar.

Guthrie was brought up by middle-class parents in Okemah, Oklahoma. He married at 19, but with the advent of the dust storms that marked the Dust Bowl period, he left his wife and three children to join the thousands of Okies who were migrating to California looking for employment. He worked at Los Angeles radio station KFVD, achieving some fame from playing hillbilly music, made friends with Will Geer and John Steinbeck, and wrote a column for the communist newspaper People's World from May 1939 to January 1940.

Throughout his life, Guthrie was associated with United States communist groups, although he apparently did not belong to any. With the outbreak of World War II and the Molotov–Ribbentrop non-aggression pact the Soviet Union had signed with Germany in 1939, the anti-Stalin owners of KFVD radio were not comfortable with Guthrie's political leanings after he wrote a song praising the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and the Soviet invasion of Poland. He left the station, ending up in New York, where he wrote and recorded his 1940 album Dust Bowl Ballads, based on his experiences during the 1930s, which earned him the nickname the "Dust Bowl Troubadour". In February 1940, he wrote his most famous song, "This Land Is Your Land". He said it was a response to what he felt was the overplaying of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on the radio.

Guthrie was married three times and fathered eight children. His son Arlo Guthrie became nationally known as a musician. Woody died in 1967 from complications of Huntington's disease. His first two daughters also died of the disease.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 14, 1912 (Okemah), Died October 3, 1967 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1952

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, composer, lyricist, harmonica, guitar

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-050145 10-in. 4/26/1940 The great dust storm Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050146 10-in. 4/26/1940 Talkin' Dust Bowl blues Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050147 10-in. 4/26/1940 Pretty-Boy Floyd Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica composer, lyricist, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Victor BS-050148 10-in. 4/26/1940 Dusty old dust Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050149 10-in. 4/26/1940 Dust Bowl blues Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050150 10-in. 4/26/1940 Blowin' down this road Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050151 10-in. 4/26/1940 Tom Joad Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050152 10-in. 4/26/1940 Tom Joad Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050153 10-in. 4/26/1940 Do re me Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050154 10-in. 4/26/1940 Dust Bowl refugee Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050155 10-in. 4/26/1940 I ain't got no home in this world anymore Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050156 10-in. 4/26/1940 Vigilante man Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050600 10-in. 5/3/1940 Dust cain't kill me Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-050601 10-in. 5/3/1940 Dust pneumonia blues Woody Guthrie Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer, lyricist  
Victor E1VB-0374 10-in. 1/28/1951 So long no. 2 Homer and Jethro Male vocal solo, with string band composer  
Columbia CO45048 10-in. 1/18/1951 So long (it's been good to know yuh) Johnny Hicks Male vocal solo, with string band composer, lyricist  
Decca 82077 1/7/1952 Kissin' on Woody Guthrie vocalist  
Decca 82078 1/7/1952 This land Woody Guthrie vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Guthrie, Woody," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102548.

Guthrie, Woody. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102548.

"Guthrie, Woody." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102548

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