Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday celebrated in US

A sign welcomes people to Okemah, Oklahoma, the home of Woody Guthrie, in Okemah, Okla., Friday, July 13, 2012. Okemah is celebrating the Guthrie Centennial with the 15th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

OKLAHOMA CITY  — Woody Guthrie’s hometown will celebrate the folk singer’s 100th birthday this weekend, even though a local state lawmaker said Guthrie was “probably not one of the favorite sons” while he was alive.

Saturday marks the centennial of the birth of Woody Guthrie, which will be feted as part of the 15th annual Woody Guthrie Festival in the eastern Oklahoma town of Okemah.

Democratic State Sen. Roger Ballenger notes that while Guthrie wasn’t popular while alive, fondness for him and his music grew in the years following his death in 1967.

Guthrie’s son, folk singer Arlo Guthrie, told The Associated Press that he believes his father would find humor in the fact he’s now celebrated each year.

Arlo Guthrie performed Wednesday, the opening night of the festival. It runs through Sunday.