Folk Music
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Posted by: Fusive Thursday, March 09, 2006
Arlo Guthrie (born July 10, 1947, Brooklyn, New York ) is an American folk singer who is the son of folk singer and composer Woody Guthrie and his Jewish wife Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a one-time professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease. He graduated from the Stockbridge School of Massachusetts in 1965, and briefly attended Rocky Mountain College. His most famous work is "Alice's Restaurant", a talking blues song that lasts 18 minutes and 20 seconds (in its orignal recorded version; Guthrie has been known to spin the story out to forty-five minutes in concert). The song, a bitingly satirical protest against the Vietnam War draft, is based on a true incident. In the song, Guthrie was called up for a draft examination, and rejected as unfit for military service as a result of a criminal record consisting in its entirety of a single arrest, court appearance, fine and clean-up order for littering.

Arlo Guthrie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 
Arlo Guthrie (born July 10, 1947, Brooklyn, New York ) is an American folk singer who is the son of folk singer and composer Woody Guthrie and his Jewish wife Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a one-time professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease. He graduated from the Stockbridge School of Massachusetts in 1965, and briefly attended Rocky Mountain College.

His most famous work is "Alice's Restaurant", a talking blues song that lasts 18 minutes and 20 seconds (in its orignal recorded version; Guthrie has been known to spin the story out to forty-five minutes in concert). The song, a bitingly satirical protest against the Vietnam War draft, is based on a true incident. In the song, Guthrie was called up for a draft examination, and rejected as unfit for military service as a result of a criminal record consisting in its entirety of a single arrest, court appearance, fine and clean-up order for littering. In reality, Guthrie, though a carrier of the genetically inherited disease Huntington's chorea, was classified as fit (1A); however, his draft-lottery number did not come up.

For a short period in the late 1960's, "Alice's Restaurant" was in nearly constant rotation on nearly every college and counter-culture-oriented radio station in the country — quite an accomplishment for a 18:20 song (albeit in an era not adverse to extended jams).

A 1969 film, directed and co-written by Arthur Penn, was based on the story. In addition to acting in this film, also called Alice's Restaurant, Guthrie has had minor roles in several movies and television series.

Guthrie also made famous Steve Goodman's song "City of New Orleans", a paean to long-distance rail travel. He also had a minor hit with his song "Coming into Los Angeles", which was recorded live at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, and success with "The Motorcycle Song." Guthrie's 1976 album Amigo received a 5-star (highest rating) from Rolling Stone, and for that reason alone may be his best-received work; unfortunately that milestone album is as rarely heard today as are Guthrie's earlier Warner Brothers albums — although each boasts compelling folk music accompanied by top-notch musicians including Ry Cooder.

Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice. He collaborated with poet Adrian Mitchell to tell the story of Chilean folk singer and activist Víctor Jara in song. He also frequently performs with his father's colleague, fellow activist Pete Seeger. In concert, Guthrie has at times been perhaps over-influenced by Seeger's penchant for trying to turn a musical performance into a political rally; to his credit, however, Guthrie's silly sense of humor can play foil to Seeger's pedantic tone.

In 1991, Guthrie bought the church that had served as Alice and Ray Brock's former home, at 4 Van Deusenville Road, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and converted it to the Guthrie Center, an interfaith meeting place that serves people of all religions.

Guthrie's son Abe and his daughter Sarah Lee have also become musicians, the latter performing and recording with her husband Johnny Irion.


Discography
"Bouncing Around the Room" on Sharin' in the Groove (2001)
Live In Sydney (2005)
Mystic Journey (1996)
Alice's Restaurant - The Massacree Revisited (1997)
More Together Again (1994)
2 Songs (1992)
Son of the Wind (1992)
All Over the World (1991)
Someday (1986)
Precious Friend (1982)
Power Of Love (1981)
Outlasting the Blues (1979)
One Night (1978)
The Best of Arlo Guthrie (1977)
Amigo (1976)
Together In Concert (1975)
Arlo Guthrie (1974)
Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys (1973)
Hobo's Lullaby (1972)
Washington County (1970)
Running Down the Road (1969)
Arlo (1968)
Alice's Restaurant (1967)

Filmography
Films and TV series

The Byrds of Paradise (1994) TV Series
Roadside Prophets (1992)
Baby's Storytime (1989)
Renaldo and Clara (1978)
Alice's Restaurant (1969)
Composer

Baby's Storytime (1989)
Clay Pigeon (1971) a.k.a. Trip to Kill (UK)
Woodstock (1970) (song "Coming Into Los Angeles")
a.k.a. Woodstock 25th Anniversary Edition
a.k.a. Woodstock, 3 Days of Peace & Music
Alice's Restaurant (1969) (song "The Alice's Restaurant Massacree")
Producer

Isn't This a Time! A Tribute Concert for Harold Leventhal (2004)
Writer

Alice's Restaurant (1969) (song "The Alice's Restaurant Massacree")
Himself

Isn't This a Time! A Tribute Concert for Harold Leventhal (2004)
From Wharf Rats to the Lords of the Docks (2004)
"Get Up, Stand Up" (2003) (TV series)
Singing in the Shadow: The Children of Rock Royalty (2003)
Last Party 2000 (2001)
a.k.a. The Party's Over
Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970) (2000) (TV)
The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack (2000)
"Healthy Kids" (1998) TV Series
This Land Is Your Land: The Animated Kids' Songs of Woody Guthrie (1997)
The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 6 (1995) (TV)
a.k.a. My Generation
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1994) (TV)
Woodstock Diary (1994) (TV)
Woodstock: The Lost Performances (1990)
A Vision Shared: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly (1988)
Farm Aid '87 (1987) (TV)
Woody Guthrie: Hard Travelin' (1984)
The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time (1982)
Woodstock (1970)
a.k.a. Woodstock 25th Anniversary Edition
a.k.a. Woodstock, 3 Days of Peace & Music
Arthur Penn, 1922-: Themes and Variants (1970) (TV)
Notable TV Guest Appearances

"Renegade" in episode: "Top Ten with a Bullet" (episode # 5.14) 24 January 1997
"Relativity" 29 December 1996
"The Muppet Show" playing "Himself" (episode # 4.8) 19 June 1979
"The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" playing "Himself" 17 August 1972
"The Dick Cavett Show" playing "Himself" 8 September 1970
"Beat-Club" (episode # 1.52) 28 February 1970
"Hylands hörna" playing "Himself" (episode # 4.4) 31 January 1970

  

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