Art Works Podcast: Pete Seeger Remembers Woody Guthrie


By Josephine Reed
Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, ca. 1943. Courtesy of the Woody Guthrie Archives
As noted in this week's podcast, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of singer, songwriter, activist, and folk legend Woody Guthrie. Guthrie traveled throughout the country learning and singing traditional folk music while writing and performing his own songs, which numbered more than 3,000. While his music covered every conceivable subject, he is best-known for shining a spotlight on the troubles and triumphs of the common man. Fellow folk legend Pete Seeger knew Woody Guthrie as well as anyone: they were two of the founders of the folk group The Almanac Singers, and often traveled and performed together. In this excerpt from the podcast, Seeger remembers a midnight benefit concert Guthrie gave for California agricultural workers. The performers included Will Geer, Burl Ives, the Golden Gate Quartet, and Leadbelly. But Woody Guthrie stood out. [1:40] "So Long It's Been So Good to Know You" by Woody Guthrie from Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection, courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. (c) 2012. Used by permission.

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