Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 - October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music; his songs, including social justice songs, such as "This Land Is Your Land", have inspired several generations both politically and musically. He wrote hundreds of political, folk, and children's songs, along with ballads and improvised works. His album of songs about the Dust Bowl period, Dust Bowl Ballads, is included on Mojo magazine's 100 Records That Changed The World. Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress.
Early life: 1912-30
Guthrie was born 14 July 1912 in Okemah, a small town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, the son of Nora Belle (nee Sherman) and Charles Edward Guthrie. His parents named him after Woodrow Wilson, then Governor of New Jersey and the Democratic candidate soon to be elected President of the United States. Charles Guthrie was an industrious businessman, owning at one time up to 30 plots of land in Okfuskee County. He was actively involved in Oklahoma politics and was a conservative Democratic candidate for office in the county. Charles Guthrie was involved in the 1911 lynching of Laura and L. D. Nelson. Woody Guthrie wrote three songs about the event and said that his father, Charles, was later a member of the revived Ku Klux Klan.  There were three significant fires during Guthrie's early life, including one that caused the loss of his family's home in Okemah. His sister Clara died after setting her clothes on fire during an argument with her mother when Guthrie was seven, and Guthrie's father was severely burned in a fire at home. Guthrie's mother, Nora, was afflicted with Huntington's disease, although the family did not know this at the time. It leads to dementia as well as muscular degeneration. She was committed to the Oklahoma Hospital for the Insane. When Nora Guthrie was institutionalized, Woody Guthrie was 14. His father Charley was living and working in Pampa, Texas, to repay his debts from unsuccessful real estate deals. Woody and his siblings were on their own in Oklahoma; they relied on their eldest brother Roy for support. The 14-year-old Woody Guthrie worked odd jobs around Okemah, begging meals and sometimes sleeping at the homes of family friends.  Guthrie had a natural affinity for music, learning old ballads and traditional English and Scottish songs from the parents of friends. Guthrie befriended an African-American harmonica playing shoeshine boy named "George". After listening to him play the blues, Guthrie bought his own harmonica and began playing along with him. He used to busk for money and food. Although he did not excel as a student (he dropped out of high school in his fourth year and did not graduate), his teachers described him as bright. He was an avid reader on a wide range of topics. Friends recall his reading constantly.  In 1929, Guthrie's father sent for his son to come to Texas, but little changed for the aspiring musician. Guthrie, then 18, was reluctant to attend high school classes in Pampa and spent much time learning songs by busking on the streets and reading in the library at Pampa's city hall. He was able to gain experience by regularly playing at dances with his father's half-brother Jeff Guthrie, a fiddle player. At age 19, Guthrie met and married his first wife, Mary Jennings, with whom he had three children, Gwendolyn, Sue, and Bill. His mother died in 1930 while in the Oklahoma Hospital for the Insane.

Q: who is woody guthrie?
A: Guthrie was born 14 July 1912

Q: where did he live before cali?
A: Okemah, a small town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma,

Q: did he find work?
A: He was actively involved in Oklahoma politics and was a conservative Democratic candidate for office in the county.

Q: who did he work for?
A: Guthrie was an industrious businessman, owning at one time up to 30 plots of land in Okfuskee County. He
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