''WOODY'' STYLE, DUST BOWL Chic. PART 2

Continued....Broke and hungry, Woody hitchhiked, rode the rails and even WALKED to California, painting signs, playing his guitar for food, and room + board. In California he experienced open aggression from residents, opposed to the recent wave of ''OKIES'' who had been migrating to the state from the midwest to escape the ravages of the droughts there. In LA Woody landed a job at a radio Station, were he played folk tunes, as well as his own creations. He began to attract wide spread attention for his outspoken criticism of the social injustice he saw all around him, in regards to the recent the migrant workers, as well as the plight of african americans. He used the radio show as his personal platform to attack the prevailing social structure. Restless as always, Woody headed east in 1940 arriving in New York. He was quickly adopted by the liberal left, and the famous folklorist, Alan Lomax, recorded him for the Library of Congress. He made friends with such greats as Burl Ives, Cisco Houston, Pete Seeger, Josh White, Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcgee. Perhaps his most famous friend was the great SONGSTER, LEADBELLY, picture above with him ( I encourage you to google some of these folks. ) All of these singers took up the cause of social justice and used there music to convey that, just as Woody had. Woody's music associations lead to a number of groups, such as the Weavers, which spread and increased the popularity of folk music worldwide. In the late 1940's and 1950's Woody began to suffer from Huntington's disease, the same affliction that had killed his mother, all those years before. He was soon hospitalized in NJ. during these years his third wife cared for him, and he inspired anew generation of politically minded singers, such as Joan Baez, Phil Oches, Tom Paley, and of course Bob Dylan. He died on Oct.3rd 1967. His aches were spread out on the ocean, near Coney Island. In his lifetime he wrote 3,000 songs including his great, ''This land is your Land''. If you want to give Woody his props, get yourself a pair of RAW JEANS, a work or CHAMBRAY shirt, a Newsboy hat, some beat boots, and a old leather jacket grab yer GUIT-TAR and hit the rails. Get some dust on ya heels, see this great land of ours. After all it was made for you and me! Thanks again, Woody!