OKEMAH, Okla. – When Woody Guthrie’s dilapidated boyhood home was ordered torn down in the late 1970s, the demolition reflected the strained relationship between conservative Oklahoma and the native son famous for his folk singing and progressive politics.
Those tensions persisted for more than a generation, but attitudes about Guthrie have slowly softened. Now developers working with the blessing of Guthrie’s relatives have announced plans to rebuild his 1860s-era boyhood home in Okemah, a time-worn town of 3,300 people desperately seeking tourism dollars.
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“If you were to put a Mount Rushmore of American music here in the Midwest, the first two artists on it would be Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie,” said Johnny Buschardt, a spokesman for the project. “Without Woody, there wouldn’t be a Bob Dylan or a Bruce Springsteen.”
Best known for the song “This Land is Your Land,” Guthrie came of age during the Great Depression and later embraced left-wing politics, including for a time some tenets of communism. By weaving social issues into his music, he reimagined folk songs as platforms for protest, starting a creative tradition carried on by scores of other top artists.
In hundreds of folk songs and ballads, Guthrie’s lyrics celebrated American workers, lamented the woes of the poor and advocated for civil rights. Although revered as one of the best songwriters in American history, he was rarely acknowledged, let alone honored, by his home state, even for decades after his death in 1967.
It took more than 30 years, but Okemah now celebrates Guthrie with an annual music festival that draws thousands of people.
Rapper West faces charges tied to scuffle
LOS ANGELES – Prosecutors have charged Kanye West with misdemeanor battery over a July scuffle with a celebrity photographer at Los Angeles International Airport.
City attorney’s spokesman Frank Mateljan says West was also charged Friday with one count of attempted grand theft. The rapper’s arraignment has been set for Oct. 10 but he is not required to appear if he has an attorney.
Photographer Daniel Ramos claims West punched him in an unprovoked attack and wrestled his camera to the ground during an incident at the airport on July 19.
– From news service reports
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