Woody Guthrie Trivia Quiz

Answer: Woodrow Wilson Guthrie

It is pretty obvious who Woody's parents admired.

Answer: Okemah, Oklahoma

Okemah is in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma. In the way Woody was famous for speaking: "Okemah was the singingest, squaredancingest, drinkingest, yellingest, preachingest, walkingest, talkingest, laughingest, cryingest, shootingest, fistfightingest, bleedingest, gamblingest, gun, club and razor carryingest of all our ranch and farm towns."

Answer: 1912

Woody was born July 14, 1912 to Charles and Nora Belle Guthrie. His namesake was elected president later that year.

Answer: Over a thousand

I know all the answers are technically correct, but from the time he was 20 until he became ill at about age 40, Woody averaged over 50 songs a year.

Answer: Grand Coulee Dam

I always think of the song as "The 'Great' Grand Coulee Dam." It was part of "The Columbia River Songs," which also includes "Roll On Columbia," the state folk song of Washington. He was paid $270 for 30 days of work and he wrote 26 songs.

Answer: This Machine Kills Fascists

Actually, I've seen pictures of several of Woody's guitars with this phrase written in different places. This one was easy if you know about his work.

Answer: "Good Night Irene"

While I have heard Woody sing "Good Night Irene," it was written by Huddie Ledbetter ("Leadbelly") and John Lomax; "Roll On Columbia" was written to this melody.
Everyone has heard "This Land is Your Land" and Woody was famous for his "Talkin'" blues.
The Los Angeles River, normally wide and dry was home to thousands of Dustbowl refugees, but on New Year's Eve 1934, a storm system flooded all the local rivers; these floods killed over a hundred people and cost many hundreds more all of their possessions.

Answer: Arlo Guthrie

Woody and his second wife, Marjorie, had four children, the ones listed in the answers. Cathy died at age four and Arlo went on to a continuing successful career, singing his father's and his own songs. He is best known for "Alice's Restaurant," a whimsical, funny, but also moving protest against the draft.

Answer: All three

There could easily have been ten or more correct answers to this question, including Burl Ives, Sonny Terry, Josh White, Odetta, The Weavers and The Almanac Singers.

Answer: Huntington's Chorea

Huntington's Chorea is also known as Woody Guthrie's Disease; it is a devastating, debilitating hereditary disease that puts those in jeopardy in the quandary of having to decide if they want to be tested.
A. L. S., or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and is similarly devastating, as is the much more common Alzheimer's Disease.
Woody died at Creedmoor State Hospital, New York, on October 3, 1967.
So long, it's been good to talk about this unique American.