Arlo Guthrie is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest songs against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father Woody Guthrie. He appeared at Woodstock and ‘Coming Into Los Angeles’ was one of the numbers in his set.
Guthrie’s best-known work is his debut piece, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, a satirical talking blues song about 18 minutes in length that has since become a Thanksgiving anthem. It appears in the eponymously named film. ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ (1969). On Thanksgiving Day 1965, while in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, during a break from his brief stint in college, 18-year-old Guthrie was arrested for illegally dumping on private property what he described as “a half-ton of garbage” from the home of his friends, teachers Ray and Alice Brock, after he discovered the local landfill was closed for the holiday. Guthrie and his friend Richard Robbins appeared in court, pled guilty to the charges, were levied a nominal fine and picked up the garbage that weekend.
You can watch the entire movie here on You Tube.
If you don’t have time watch the enitre movie then here is Arlo performing the Massacree at Farm Aid in 2005.
His only top-40 hit was a cover of Steve Goodman’s “City of New Orleans”. His song “Massachusetts” was named the official folk song of the state in which he has lived most of his adult life. Guthrie has also made several acting appearances. He is the father of four children, who have also had careers as musicians.
