Composer of the Month: March

                   Woody Guthrie

1912-1967

Period of Music: 20^th Century American Folk Music

Nationality: American

Instruments he played: guitar, harmonica

Popular songs:  This Land is Your Land, So Long It’s Been Good to Know You, Roll On Columbia, Pastures of Plenty, Union Maid, I Ain’t Got No Home, Tom Joad, Oklahoma Hills

Interesting Facts: 

-Woody Guthrie played the harmonica and danced jigs mornings in the school yard to entertain the other students.

-He was from Oklahoma but never finished high school and left at age 16 for the open road.

-For a while Woody worked at a drugstore; when there were no customers he played songs on the boss’s guitar.

-He got ideas for new songs from books, street people, and newspapers.

-Woody Guthrie toured the United States singing on radio shows, at parties, and at political rallies.

-He loved words and finding new ways to put them together.

-Guthrie was married three times and had eight children. His son Arlo Guthrie is also a folk singer and recorded Alice’s Restaurant, a long talking blues song.

-Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen were greatly influenced by Woody Guthrie.