Woody Guthrie and English Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg

American folk singer Woody Guthrie inherited the Huntington's gene from his mother who was institutionalised when he was young and both Woody and his mother died from Huntington's Disease.
In the early 1990s, Nora Guthrie, daughter of Woody Guthrie, saw Billy in concert in the States and added him to her shortlist of musicians to write new music to her late father’s undiscovered lyrics.

See Billy's website. http://www.billybragg.co.uk/

Billy Braggs office have kindly agreed to send me a signed book and photograph of the singer/songwriter and political activist for my auction.

Woody Guthrie wrote these lyrics about his mother.

I Hear You Sing Again
If I could only hear my mother sing again
If I could close my eyes and hear your voice as then
All the friends and family
would sing along with me,
and set your spirit free

In my heart I hear you sing again
Every note as natural as then
and when I sing those songs
for family and friends,
in my heart I hear you sing again

I know the troubled times that turned your hair to grey
And all the tears and sorrows followed to your grave
But deep within the heart of hunger,
there were always melodies
passed from you and me

In my heart I hear you sing again
Every note as natural as then
and when I sing those songs
for family and friends,
in my heart I hear you sing again

And it's a long, long road I've come
since my mother's songs were heard
But the child I can't outrun
still hangs on every word

In my heart I hear you sing again
Every note as natural as then
and when I sing those songs
for family and friends,
In my heart I hear you sing again
In my heart I hear your voice again

Woody and Huntington's Disease
http://www.woodyguthrie.org/biography/biography8.htm