The family collection of Oscar Brand, a leading light in American folk music for decades, has been obtained by the Woody Guthrie Archive

Earlier this month, the Tulsa-based Woody Guthrie Archive announced the acquisition of about 500 items once belonging to the legendary folk singer, writer, activist, and radio host Oscar Brand. Sometimes called the "Dean of American Folk Music," Brand had a career spanning 70+ years, releasing nearly 100 LPs under his own name while also writing books and Broadway plays and songs for the likes of Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, and Harry Belafonte. Moreover, for several decades, Brand hosted a radio program on WNYC (the public radio station in New York City) that featured -- and helped popularize -- performers like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger, and more. Our guest is Kate Blalack, the Senior Archivist with the American Song Archives (which oversees the Woody Guthrie Archive). She tells us about Brand's remarkable life and influential career in American folk music.