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Arlo Guthrie

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A press photo of Arlo Guthrie.
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A press photo of Arlo Guthrie.

Arlo Guthrie (born July 10, 1947, Brooklyn, New York) is an American folk singer.

Contents

Background

Arlo Guthrie is the son of folk singer and composer Woody Guthrie and his 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.

Alice's Restaurant

His most famous work is "Alice's Restaurant", a talking blues song that lasts 18 minutes and 20 seconds (in its original 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 potential carrier of the genetically inherited Huntington's disease, was classified as fit (1A), but, his draft-lottery number did not come up. However, on the commentary of the below-mentioned movie version, Guthrie states that this is totally false; asserting that the events as presented in the song are true to how they occurred in real life and he was not declared unfit for any genetic disease.

For a short period in the late 1960s, "Alice's Restaurant" was in nearly constant rotation on nearly every college and counter-culture-oriented radio station in the country [[Citing sources citation needed]] — quite an accomplishment for an 18 minute long song (albeit in an era not averse 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's memorable, although "stoned" appearance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival was documented in the Michael Wadleigh film Woodstock.

City of New Orleans

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 played 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.

Legacy

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 enjoys the privilege of regularly performing with folk legend Pete Seeger - one of his father's long time partners whom he admires, follows and learns from in many ways, musically and intellectually. 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 Guthrie and his daughters [Sarah Lee Guthrie] and Cathy Guthrie have also become musicians. Sarah Lee performs and records with her husband Johnny Irion and Cathy plays ukulele in Folk Uke a group she formed with Amy Nelson, the daughter of Willie Nelson.

Acting

Though Arlo Guthrie is best known for being a musician, singer, and composer, throughout the years he has also appeared as an actor in films and on television. He began his acting career with his biographical film Alice's Restaurant. This process continued and he co-starred as the character Alan Moon on the television series, The Byrds of Paradise.

Discography

Select filmography

Notable television guest appearances

Film and television composer

Producer

Writer

Appearances as himself

References

 

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