Named after the 28^th President of the United States, this influential American folk musician would probably not be proud to be associated with the late Woodrow Wilson. Guthrie was much more than just a talented musician; his hatred of fascism, politicians, and economic exploitation are frequent themes of his impassioned lyrics.

Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born on July 14^th, 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma.  At the age of 19, he left his childhood home for Texas, where he performed as a street musician and in small venues. He traveled to California during the Dust Bowl era, where he witnessed poverty and atrocious working conditions. These experiences profoundly affected the man and his music.

In the late 1930’s, Guthrie began to share his talents with a wider audience as an LA radio performer of traditional folk music. In this venue, he also began to perform protest songs, recordings that were featured on his 1940 album Dust Bowl Ballads. Prior to the album’s release, Woody moved again, this time to New York City.  

In the year that Dust Bowl Ballads was released, Guthrie wrote his most famous song, entitled This Land Is Your Land. Still well-known today, the tune was inspired by Guthrie’s observance of inequalities throughout the US.

During the early 1940s, Guthrie joined Pete Seeger and several other left-minded musicians to form the group Almanac Singers.The group toured the country with their anti-war inspired music and enjoyed significant popularity. Guthrie’s anti-war message changed to that of anti-facism during World War II, and the slogan ‘this machine kills fascists’ was famously written on the influential musician’s guitar, who suprisingly served with both the US Merchant Marine and the US Army, despite his previous anti-war stance. The decade also saw the release of the recordings Songs to Grow on For Mother and Child, a collection of children’s music, as well as the poem Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos), verses that would later be set to music and covered by many performers including Dolly Parton and Bob Dylan.

By the end of the decade, Woody was suffering from health problems due to Huntington’s disease. After spending several years in a mental institution, he died on October 3^rd, 1967 in Queens, New York.

Even before his death, however, Woody’s legacy had already begun to grow. Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs included tributes to Guthrie on their albums. Other artists and groups, including Janis Ian, the punk band Anti-Flag and the Dropkick Murphys have also helped introduce Guthrie’s powerful lyrics to a new generation. A statue honoring Guthrie stands in his hometown of Okemah, proving that the singer’s timeless words are still an inspiration to countless like-minded citizens throughout the world. Woody was the recipient of numerous honors including The Folk Alliance Lifetime Acheivement Award. He is a Songwriters’ Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

Woody was connected to several women throughout his life. In 1933, he met and married Mary Jennings, with whom he had three children: Gwen, Sue, and Bill. Eventually, the strain of Woody’s constant travel and performances proved to be too much for the marriage. He then set his sights on a young married dancer named Marjorie Mazia. Woody’s charms soon won over the already attached lady, and the couple married in 1945. They had four children, Arlo, a successful musician, Joady, Nora Lee, and Cathy. Although Guthrie appeared to be content with his domestic life, he left his second wife to travel to California, where he married Anneke Van Kirk and had daughter named Lorina Lynn.