The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University will release a conversation with Nora Guthrie, daughter of the legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie, in which she discusses topics such as her father, the Woody Guthrie Prize, and this year’s prize recipient, Bruce Springsteen, with music journalist Bob Santelli.
The Archives virtual program will launch on Tuesday, May 11 at 10 a.m. and is available on the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music website or the Springsteen Archives’ Facebook page.
The Woody Guthrie Prize, awarded by the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, OK, recognizes artists across media who have used their talents to speak for those without a platform. Past recipients of the award include Joan Baez, Chuck D, John Mellencamp, Norman Lear, Kris Kristofferson, Mavis Staples, and Pete Seeger.
Guthrie, speaking on behalf of her family, described their delight at Springsteen’s acceptance of the award, saying, “I’ve been hoping and waiting for this day when Bruce will join our family as the recipient of the Woody Guthrie Prize. Our tribe is one of visionaries and changers, fighters and hopers, believers and speaker-uppers, and lovers who inhabit the world of the arts. Each with their own voice, style, content, or method, they all have one thing in common: they care about what’s going on around them. They forcefully or gently stretch our ability to, at first, know about others. Then, they inspire us to care for others. Finally, they show us what we can do to help others. Welcome, brother!”
“For an American songwriter, I can’t think of a better honor than to receive the Woody Guthrie Prize,” said Santelli. “Awarding the Prize to Bruce is long overdue. Clearly, he’s from the same songwriting lineage that begins with Woody, runs through Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Phil Ochs, and includes just about every other writer that saw a song as an inspiration for change in America.”
About BSACAM: The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University serves as the official archival repository for Bruce Springsteen’s written works, photographs, periodicals, and artifacts. The Center preserves and promotes the legacy of Bruce Springsteen and his role in American music, while honoring and celebrating icons of American music like Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra, and others, and telling the stories of musicians whose work has been influenced by Springsteen, including Gaslight Anthem and The Killers. The Archives comprise nearly 35,000 items from 47 countries, ranging from books and concert memorabilia to articles and promotional materials. The collection serves the research and informational needs of music fans, scholars, authors, and others with a serious interest in the life and career of Bruce Springsteen. By appointment only. Contact Eileen Chapman at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at 732-571-3512, or echapman@monmouth.edu