Woody Guthrie will be the recipient of the prestigious Pioneer Award, to be presented at the 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner onThursday, June 14th.
The Pioneer Award was established in 2012 to honor the career of a historic creator of a major body of musical work that has been a major influence on generations of songwriters. SHOF Chairman Jimmy Webb says " "This year, we join musicians and songwriters from around the world in celebrating Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday. One of the great songwriters of all time, we look forward to acknowledging his brilliance with the first-ever Songwriters Hall of Fame Pioneer Award."
Guthrie wrote more than 3,000 songs throughout his career, including American staples "This Land Is Your Land," "This Train Is Bound For Glory," "Pastures of Plenty" and "Pretty Boy Floyd." First known as "the
Dustbowl Balladeer," his musical and compositional style has influenced generations of contemporary songwriters in every genre, from folk to rock. Recognized for his monumental contributions and achievements in American culture, Guthrie was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 1977, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1999 he was honored with The National Academy of Recording Arts &
Sciences Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other inductees for the 2012 event are Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Don Schlitz, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones and Jim Steinman.
