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

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 — 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

  • "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)

Select filmography

Notable television guest appearances

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")

Producer

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

Writer

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)
  • 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)

References

1947 births | American male singers | Folk singers | Greenwich Village scene | Jewish-American singers | Living people | Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Arlo Guthrie | Arlo Guthrie | Arlo Guthrie | Arlo Guthrie | Arlo Guthrie | Arlo Guthrie | Arlo Guthrie

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Arlo Guthrie".

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