Arlo Guthrie

As the son of the most prolific folk singers in American history, Arlo Guthrie’s career as a singer/songwriter seemed destined from the start. With the influence of his father, Arlo grew up in New York City surrounded by the well-renown musicians of the time, such as Pete Seeger and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, both of whom proved to be frequent collaborators throughout his career. Because of this, much of his work has focused on “social consciousness and activism” as a member of the folk movement, starting in the late 1960s, but continuing on throughout his career.[1]

As a result, Guthrie has become a leading voice in the folk movement of his generation, and has provided inspiration to the musicians that followed in his footsteps, not to mention, the countless number of collaborators he has had over the years. Besides countless albums dedicated to causes such as environmentalism and social equality, Arlo opened The Guthrie Center as a way of giving back to the communities the same way that both of his parents did during his youth. Converted out of a church, The Guthrie Center is described as “providing a wide range of local and international services,” but mainly gives back to the community Arlo lived in as a young adult as a struggling musician.[2]

However, despite a reputation as a philanthropist and folk singer, many of his biggest hits were not protest songs. The song that Arlo is best known for is “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” which details his teenaged arrest for littering and subsequent exemption from the draft, as well as the colorful cast of characters Guthrie was friends with at the time. At over seventeen minutes in length, the song became a cult favorite on radio stations, particularly around the Thanksgiving season during which the song is set. Another hit Arlo had on the popular music charts was a cover of “City of New Orleans,” a song about the decay of the rail industry, which he joined Willie Nelson and Dottie West in performing at the first Farm Aid concert in 1985.

Arlo’s appearance at the concert was not surprising, given his status as a champion of the disenfranchised and as a prominent voice, and around the time of the concert, he made a few remarks about the plight of farmers, stating “we’re behind you.”[3] Though he only performed one song, Arlo’s performance further demonstrated the need for action, as his song showcased the plight of poorer conditions in rural America. Not only as a prominent voice in folk music, but as a voice for the disenfranchised much like his father, Guthrie’s appearance at Farm Aid was a notable expression of solidarity and support for a group struggling to survive across the United States.

(Written by Brody Johnson)