Woody Guthrie in Will Geer's apartment. Guthrie made his first recordings—several hours of conversation and songs recorded by the folklorist Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress—as well as an album, "Dust Bowl Ballads," for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey. In February 1940 he wrote his most famous song, "This Land Is Your Land", as a response to what he felt was an overplaying of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on the radio. Guthrie thought the lyrics were unrealistic and complacent. He adapted the melody from an old gospel song, "Oh My Loving Brother", which had been adapted by the country
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival health benefits for 18,000 retired coal miners. Anna Canoni, Woody's granddaughter and Senior Operations Manager for Woody Guthrie Publications, presented "I Ain't Dead Yet: New Songs from the Woody Guthrie Archives." Lauren Lee coordinated "Woody's Kids" - a special songwriting workship for the younger folks, while Ellis Paul taught a songwriting workshop for adults. For the 7th consecutive year, John Dillon and Vivian Nesbitt, hosts of "Art of the Song: Creativity Radio", a 1-hour radio show airing on more than 100 radio stations across the U.S. and Canada, taped two interviews in front of a live audience to be broadcast