Woody Guthrie, the legendary folk singer and social activist died in a hospital in Queens, New York in 1967. And yet, over 40 years later, Guthrie is up for a Grammy. The album being nominated for Best Historical Record is The Live Wire - Woody Guthrie In Performance 1949. Although the recordings were made half a century ago, this album is a recent creation. In 2001, The Woody Guthrie Archives received 2 spools of wire recordings documenting a live Woody Guthrie performance held in Newark, New Jersey in 1949. Thanks to many talented recording engineers, the Foundation transferred and restored the live performance from a delicate wire recording to digital audio. The timelessness of Woody Guthrie is reflected by the timelessness of his music. His songs about migrant workers (Deportee), economic depression, workers’ rights (Pastures of Plenty), and war are as relevant today as they ever were.

The timelessness of these songs is why singers from Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, Emmy Lou Harris Wilco, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pearl Jam, Ani Di Franco and too many to count, keep singing them. So if you don’t know Woody Guthrie   and get to know him, through his music. After you’re inspired, write your own social justice folk with these tips from The Music Unites Us Program at Brandeis University !

Learn more about Woody Guthrie’s legacy here.