PHOTO BY
TEQUILA MINSKY
Will Kaufman, a musician and professor,
sang Woody Guthrie songs that the famed folkie
penned about his landlord Fred C. Trump. There was no music attached to
Guthrie’s lyrics, so Kaufman added his own.
Woody Guthrie and the Fred Trump blues
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
Villagers and folk-music enthusiasts recently
packed the beautiful Church of St. John’s
in the Village for a “live documentary” on
the life of Woody Guthrie, with a special twist: the
singer’s battles with his landlord Fred C. Trump,
father of President Donald Trump.
Guthrie and his family moved into the Beach
Haven apartment complex near Coney Island in
December 1950. While conducting research, Will
Kaufman discovered writings by Guthrie about his
landlord, the senior Trump.
Judy Bell, custodian of Guthrie’s archives, also
found in fi les lyrics or song fragments that Guthrie
wrote about his landlord. The April 30 event
featured songs and spoken word. With no associated
music found, Kaufman added his own to the
multiverse lyrics by Guthrie, in order to perform
“Mister Trump Made a Tramp Out of Me.” Mister
Trump has made a tramp out of me; Paid him alla
my bonds and savin’s, To move into his Beach Haven;
Yes, Trump has made a tramp out of me. “Old
Man Trump, Beach Haven Ain’t My Home” is another
one of the unearthed Guthrie songs. Kaufman
spoke about how riled the folk-music icon was
at the apartment complex’s segregated policies, and
also how Fred Trump was able to “work the system,”
profi teering when building his public housing
the complex.
Kaufman, a musician and academic, has written
three books on Guthrie (“Mapping Woody Guthrie,”
“Woody Guthrie’s Modern World Blues” and
“Singing for Peace”). His nearly two-hour presentation,
embellished by a slide show of archival photos
of Guthrie’s life, included many images of landlord
Trump, as well as of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl,
where Guthrie was raised.
When it comes to folk music, Woody Guthrie is
as iconic as it gets. His life and his political, folk
and children’s songs have inspired decades of folk
singers.
Focusing on the life and music of Guthrie seems
apt for a fundraiser for the second edition of the
upcoming fall local folk-music festival, The Village
Trip, founded by Liz Thompson. In addition to
Washington Square Park, the festival — which will
run Sept. 26 to 29 — will also feature events at six
other Greenwich Village venues.
PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY
Alongside a slide show of archival images
of the life of Woody Guthrie, left, images
of Fred Trump, right, and Dust Bowl photographs,
Will Kaufman presented a songand
spoken word “live documentary” of
Guthrie’s life, highlighting Guthrie’s battles
against Fred Trump, his Brooklyn landlord.
22 May 16, 2019 TVG Schneps Media