Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, July 9-13, 2003, Okemah, Oklahoma

Information about the 6th Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, July 9-13, 2003

Woody Guthrie Coalition, Inc.
P. O. Box  661   Okemah, OK  74859     918-623-2440  www.woodyguthrie.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2003

Thousands of fans from across the country will celebrate the life and legacy of Woody Guthrie this year during the 6th Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. The free music festival, which coincides each year with Guthrie's birthday (July 14, 1912), will take place July 9-13, 2003, in Guthrie's hometown of Okemah, Okla.
The annual celebration features the music of some of the world's best singer-songwriters - many of whom draw inspiration from Guthrie's songs and his prolific prose. 

The 6th Annual festival marks the return of Arlo Guthrie, Sarah and Abe Guthrie, as well as American folk icon Pete Seeger and the legendary Odetta.   The Guthrie family, with Seeger and Odetta will be the closing act on July 12 at the Pastures of Plenty main stage.  A jam-band coming together solely for the purpose of performing at the 2003 festival features Arlo's children - Cathy, Annie, Abe, Sarah Guthrie with her husband Johnny Irion, along with Amy Nelson, daughter of music legend Willie Nelson.

Fifty-One performers are confirmed for other appearances throughout the citywide festival, including
Pete Seeger, Odetta, Willis Alan Ramsey, Don Conoscenti, Eliza Gilkyson, The Joel Rafael Band, Slaid Cleaves, Ellis Paul, Jimmy LaFave, Vance Gilbert, Mary Reynolds, Michael Fracasso, Carrie Newcomer, The Red Dirt Rangers, Larry Long with Fiddlin' Pete and Larry Dalton, Bob Childers,  Michael Douglas Blackwell,  Johnsmith, Emily Kaitz, Susan Shore, Tom Skinner,  Larry Spears, George and Linda Barton, Greg Jacobs, Audrey Auld, Effron White, Steppin' in It, Don White, Crow Johnson, Darcie Deaville, David R, Travis Kidd, Don Morris, Amanda Cunningham, The Burns Sisters, Scott Aycock, The Farm Couple, Brandon Jenkins, Tracy Grammer, Bill Chambers, Blackfire, Ronny Elliott, Christopher Williams, Randy Crouch, Owen Lynn, James Talley, Til Willis, Jeff Plankenhorn and Likely Stories. 

This year's festival kicks off July 9 with a benefit concert in Okemah's historic Crystal Theater. The Wednesday night performance helps fund the following three days of music and entertainment. The benefit show this year will be "A Tribute to Woody Guthrie," first performed in New York City at Carnegie Hall on Jan. 20, 1968.  Benefit concert tickets will be available 6/2/03 at www.tickets.com.   
General Admission is:  $20.00
Reserved Seating is:  $35.00 includes a reception with the performers immediately following the concert. All proceeds from the benefit concert help to fund the following 3 days of entertainment.  

Free concerts begin Thursday and continue through Saturday at several venues downtown during the day.
Evening performances at the Pasture of Plenty main stage east of town begin at 6:30 PM.  There is a $10 charge for parking during the Pastures of Plenty performances.  Downtown venues include the Crystal Theater and Brick Street Café.  Musicians who want to share their original songs can sign up to play downtown on a shaded patio stage at Lou's Rocky Road Tavern.

This year's Children's Festival features the return of Pat Stewart, who will teach kids some tunes on the harmonica.  Harmonicas will be given away to those children in attendance.  In addition, several festival artists will entertain the children during special performances designed for the Children's Festival. 

Though Guthrie's songs often reflect controversial political and social commentary, his music is known and embraced by people around the world. He wrote thousands of songs during his lifetime as he traveled the dusty roads across America, witnessing and documenting the lives of those who struggled through the Great Depression, tamed the Northwest wilderness with hydroelectricity, and forged the rights of the working class. The impact of Guthrie's lyrics - his down-home delivery and common-folk camaraderie - influenced a number of modern musicians who, through their works, have helped keep the spirit of Guthrie's words alive. The most famous of those include Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

The annual festival is organized and produced by the Woody Guthrie Coalition, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation, as a way to honor the spirit of Woody Guthrie, his message and his music.  The Coalition's goal is to promote and preserve the state's rich musical heritage and the legacy of Oklahoma's - and America's - most influential folk singer-songwriter. 

The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival is made possible in part by grants provided by the Oklahoma Arts Council and the Viersen Family Foundation.  Some of the other sponsors of the 2003 festival are:  Okemah National Bank, Parks Brothers Hardware, Taylor Guitars, Oklahoma Gazette, Oklahoma AFL/CIO and Okemah Care Center.

For more information about the artists, schedules and events, please visit our web site www.woodyguthrie.com or call (918) 623-2440.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  All news organizations who are interested in sending press personnel to the festival please notify the undersigned.  Press packages and passes will be available to news personnel requesting access during the festival.

Yours truly,

Debbie Spears

Debbie Spears
Media/Marketing
Woody Guthrie Coalition, Inc.
P. O. Box 661
Okemah., OK 74859
918-245-4294
DSSPEARS@aol.com