About Woody Guthrie
Celebrating the legacy of Woody Guthrie in Pampa, Texas.
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ABOUT WOODY
Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie (1912–1967) grew up in Okemah, Oklahoma, in a musical family shaped by boom-and-bust fortunes and hard losses. Those years—oil booms, dust, and prairie towns—sharpened the eye and plainspoken poetry that defined his work.
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Woody in pampa, texas
In 1929 he landed in Pampa, Texas, married Mary Jennings, started his first bands, and taught himself sign-painting and art. When drought and the Dust Bowl hit, he joined thousands heading west. He didn’t go as a troubadour—he left with paintbrushes in his pocket and even lost them in New Mexico when a hitchhiked ride drove off without him. On the road he swapped hand-lettered signs, odd jobs, and stories for meals, gathering the voices that would later fill his songs.
LA Bound
By 1937 he’d reached Los Angeles, singing on KFVD with “Lefty Lou” and speaking up for migrant workers. In New York (1940) he recorded with Alan Lomax, joined the Almanac Singers, and helped seed the modern folk revival. Federal work in Oregon produced the Columbia River songs; WWII service, his memoir Bound for Glory, and children’s music followed. In the late ’40s Huntington’s disease began to steal his health, but not the reach of his words. He died in 1967, leaving thousands of lyrics, drawings, and stories that still shape American music.
Let us tell you about woody in person
A key chapter runs right through Pampa. Come see the Harris Drug Store where Woody worked, hear the local tales, and—if you like—pull up a chair at our Friday night jam. We’d love to share Woody with you in person.
