Arlo Guthrie

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

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

Contents

[edit] "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). Guthrie has pointed out that this was also the exact length of one of the famous gaps in Richard Nixon's Watergate tapes. The Alice in the song is Alice Brock, who now runs an art gallery [1] in Provincetown.

The song, a bitingly satirical protest against the Vietnam War draft, is based on a true incident. In the song, Guthrie is 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. It has been asserted that in reality, Guthrie, though a potential carrier of the genetically inherited Huntington's disease, was classified as fit for service (1A), but his draft-lottery number did not come up.[citation needed] However, on the DVD commentary for the film, Guthrie states that this is false, asserting that the events as presented in the song are true to real-life occurrences.

For a short period of time after its release in 1967, "Alice's Restaurant" was in frequent rotation on nearly every college and counter-culture radio station in the country — quite an accomplishment for an 18-minute song (albeit in an era not averse to extended jams). Indeed, it became a symbol of the late '60s and for many it defined an attitude and lifestyle that were lived out across the country in the ensuing years.

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 appearance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival was documented in the Michael Wadleigh film Woodstock.

[edit] Popular and critical reception

In 1972 Guthrie made famous Steve Goodman's song "City of New Orleans", a paean to long-distance rail travel. Curiously, Arlo's first trip on that train was in December 2005. 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 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.

[edit] 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. Alice's Restaurant is his best known role, but he has had small parts in several films and even co-starred in a television drama, Byrds of Paradise.

[edit] 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 regularly performs 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 in 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. Cathy plays ukulele in Folk Uke, a group she formed with Amy Nelson, the daughter of Willie Nelson. Guthrie's grandson Krishna is a drummer, and toured with him on his European tour in 2006 [2].

[edit] Discography

[edit] Select filmography

[edit] Notable television guest appearances

[edit] Film and television composer

  • Baby's Storytime (1989)
  • Clay Pigeon (1971) also known as Trip to Kill (UK)
  • Woodstock (1970) (song "Coming Into Los Angeles")
  • Alice's Restaurant (1969) (song "The Alice's Restaurant Massacree")

[edit] Producer

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

[edit] Writer

  • Mooses Come Walking (2004) (Children's Book)[1]

[edit] Appearances as 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) (also known as 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) (also known as 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)
  • The Muppet Show (episode # 4.8) 19 June 1979
  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson playing "Himself" 17 August 1972
  • Woodstock (1970) (also known as Woodstock 25th Anniversary Edition and as Woodstock, 3 Days of Peace & Music)
  • Arthur Penn 1922-: Themes and Variants (1970) (TV)
  • Hylands hörna (episode # 4.4) 31 January 1970
  • The Dick Cavett Show 8 September 1970

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Chronicle Books Link
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