YEAR
1988
INDUCTED BY
Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield)
CATEGORY
Early Influences
Woody Guthrie started more than one revolution.
He revolutionized folk music when he used it to express his own, often radical, views about society. Without Woody Guthrie, there would be no Dylan, Springsteen or Baez.
Woody Guthrie
HALL OF FAME
ESSAY
By Andrew Schwartz
Woody Guthrie was a stubborn, moody, irresponsible and just plain ornery soul; a hard-drinking egomaniac who ”borrowed” nearly all of the melodies of his many songs; an irregular source of support to his wives and children; and one of the world’s worst house guests.
Woody Guthrie was also one of America’s greatest folk poets and the author of literally thousands of songs, including “Pastures of Plenty,” “Reuben James,” “Grand Coulee Dam,” “Do Re Mi,” “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You” and “This Land Is Your Land.”
