Tiskilwa to host Woody Guthrie tribute show

Tiskilwa Historical Society welcomes the community to enjoy a tribute at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, to a legendary American songwriter: “This Land Is Your Land: Folksongs of Woody Guthrie,” performed by Bucky Halker.

Everyone is invited to the community room of Museum on Main, 100 E. Main St., Tiskilwa.

A musician and historian, Halker is a longtime Illinois Humanities Road Scholar with knowledge of folk music. Audiences everywhere have enjoyed performances by this down-to-earth fellow with a PhD in American history. He has shared his gift of music in venues throughout the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Canada for more than 30 years. Halker comes to Tiskilwa through a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council.

In “This Land Is Your Land,” Halker combines musical performance (guitar and vocal) with spoken commentary. While the program features songs by legendary folksinger and songwriter Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie (1912-1967), Halker adds commentary on the time period of each song. In doing so, he frames the lyrics in a larger historical context of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, as well as offering specific details on Guthrie’s music and his life.

Tune up your vocal cords because the program includes two singalongs. All programs by Tiskilwa Historical Society are free to the public and followed by homemade treats and conversation in the museum galleries. For updated details, check the society’s Facebook page or visit its newly launched website www.tiskilwahistory.org.