Sour epitaph for folk singer

Press, 16 April 1980, Page 21

Sour epitaph for folk singer

The long-simmering argument over what to do with the dilapidated birthplace of the late folk singer, Woody Guthrie, has been decided — by vandals and neglect What was left of the ravaged, four-ro.om structure toppled a few days ago, the . victim of a vandal’s sledgehammer blows to its fragile foundations. - ■

“The sledgehammer broke up enough of the foundations to cause the

wooden structure to fall,” said Jane Kirkland,: president - of the Okfuskee County Historical Society. The owner, of the house, a local oilman; Earl Walker, now has until May 5 to repair the' structure or clear it away. Walker bought the house for $7OOO more than a decade ago, envisioning that it would become a living memorial to Okemah’s most famous s,on. : He was wrong. Even though Guthrie was a pro-

lific writer of songs of praise and protest before he died at the age of 55, there is little affection for him in this former oil boom town 100 km east of Oklahoma City. He wrdte an estimated 1000 songs between 1932 and 1952. S.ome, like “This Land Is Your Land,” “So Long, It’s Been Good To Know You,” “Dusty Old Dust,” and “Green Back Dollar,” reflected the depression-era hardships Guthrie encountered and

have become internationally renowned. But in 1971, city fathers refused to mark officially Guthrie’s birthdate. Shortly before his death, Guthrie’s wife was rebuffed in an attempt to present his books and records to the local library. When he died in 1967, she had his ashes strewn over the Atlantic Ocean rather than return them to a town that had been reluctant to claim him. Guthrie’s image did not set well' with many local

residents. He lived the life of a hobo and tried out his Songs in . migrant camps, waterfront saloons, skid rows, and union halls. Rumours of Guthrie’s Communist leanings also grated on Okemah. “Woody Guthrie is a very volatile issue in this town,” one community leader said. “He was never a person who was admired in this community. They’re still of the opinion he is unworthy of being recognised."