The Guthrie Family Legacy Lives On W ith songs like This Land is your Land a n d The Reno Blues, the name Woody Guthrie has become synonymous with folk music. H i s controversial songs filled with social commentary and harmonica and guitar-playing have influenced legions of folk musicians like Peter Seeger, Bob Dylan and his o w n s o n , A r l o G u t h r i e . T h e spirit of the G u t h r i e family has continued to be handed d o w n from generation to generation. A r l o , his children and his grandchildren w i l l come together on A p r i l 6 at the Chan Centre at U B C for The Legacy Tour. This event, co-presented by the C a p i l a n o College Performing Arts Theatre and the Chan Centre will both honor Woody's tradition and e x p l o r e new g r o u n d as it weaves its w a y t h r o u g h the generations of Guthries. H a v i n g lived t h r o u g h some of the most significant historic movements and events of the Twentieth Century - the Great Depression, the Great Dust Storm, World War II, the social and the political upheavals resulting from Unionism, the Communist Party and the C o l d W a r - W o o d y Guthrie absorbed it a l l and became a prolific writer whose songs, ballads, prose and poetry captured the plight of every man. W h i l e traveling throughout the A m e r i c a n landscape d u r i n g the 1930s, '40s a n d ' 5 0 s , Woody's observations of what he saw and experienced has left a lasting legacy of images, sounds and voices of the marginalized, disenfranchised and oppressed people who struggled to survive despite all odds. Although most original Woody Guthrie songs, or as Woody preferred "people's songs" are, perhaps, his most recognized c o n t r i b u t i o n to A m e r i c a n c u l t u r e , the s t i n g i n g honesty, humor and wit found even in his most vernacular prose exhibit Woody's fervent belief in social, political and spiritual justice. The first of four children with Woody's second wife, M a r j o r i e M a z i a , A r l o Guthrie grew up surrounded by folksingers and songwriters, like Pete Seeger, Lee H a y s , R a m b l i n ' Jack and L e a d b e l l y . A s a result, A r l o was immersed into the singer/ s o n g w r i t e r w o r l d at a r e l a t i v e l y y o u n g age. H i s first live 6 M a r c h | A p r i I performance was when he was just 13 years old. After that, he began hanging out in a l l the major clubs of the folk revival era and rubbing elbows with the new generation of t o p i c a l songwriters like P h i l O c h s a n d his father's protegee B o b D y l a n . In 1 9 6 7 , he enjoyed phenomenal success with his album Alice's Restaurant, which included an 18-minute-long title track that served as a vocal protest against the Vietnam War. The song and album were such a success, that Arthur Penn directed a film version of the song two years later, in which A r l o played himself. Without ever having actually had a real " h i t " record, Guthtie's p o p u l a r i t y has continued to g r o w and e x p a n d . H e has toured internationally for nearly 40 years, and launched his own Rising Son record label in 1983. A l l of A r l o ' s kids have played music in one fashion or another, and now A r l o is setting out across North America on T h e G u t h r i e F a m i l y Legacy T o u r to celebrate four generations of Guthrie F a m i l y music along with his son A b e , his daughter's d u o Sarah Lee G u t h r i e & Johnny Irion. Arlo's other children, Cathy and Annie, as well as five grandchildren w i l l also join in the tour as they their schedule allows. Everyone w i l l be singing the songs that have kept the Guthrie Family the first family of American Folk Music for generations. WHO: Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre WHAT: The Guthrie Family Legacy Tour WHEN: April 6 , 2 0 0 7 @ 8pm WHERE: The Chan Centre at UBC TICKETS: $46/$44 ($25 Student Tickets - Limited availability) INFO: Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre Box Office 604.9907810