Guthrie, << GUHTH ree, >> Woody (1912-1967), was an American folk singer and composer. His songs and vocal style influenced a number of younger professional folk singers, including Bob Dylan and Jack Elliot. Guthrie wrote more than 1,000 songs in traditional style, including the well-known “This Land Is Your Land.”
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma , on July 14, 1912. He began to travel at about the age of 16, and he spent much of his life roaming the United States. Guthrie composed songs about migrant workers and about ordinary people who became victims of the Great Depression . His songs also described the beauty of the American land. Guthrie had many personal misfortunes, but his music expressed a hopeful view of life. During his last 13 years, he suffered from Huntington’s disease , a nerve disorder that caused his death on Oct. 3, 1967. Guthrie wrote an autobiography, Bound for Glory (1943). Guthrie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a performer who had an early influence on rock music . His son Arlo (1947-…) also became a professional folk music performer and songwriter.
