Alice Brock, Who Helped Inspire ‘Alice’s Restaurant,’ Dead at 83

Alice Brock, the woman who gave Arlo Guthrie’s classic Thanksgiving tune “Alice’s Restaurant Massacre” its name, has died at the age of 83.

It was Thanksgiving 1965 when Guthrie, then just 18-years-old, visited Brock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She and her husband were converting an old church into a home, and Guthrie and his friend Rick Robbins offered to help clear out an abundance of garbage and building supplies that had been left behind.

Finding that the local dump was closed due to the holiday, the men deposited the material in a nearby lot. They were arrested for littering the next day and the conviction later made Guthrie ineligible for the draft.

The story would be woven into the folk singer’s 1967 tune, commonly referred to as “Alice’s Restaurant.” At over 18 minutes in length, the long and winding track offered a satirical protest of the Vietnam War. Guthrie went on to fame like his father, Woody, while “Alice’s Restaurant” became one of his signature songs. A movie inspired by the tune and starring Guthrie as himself was released in 1969.

Arlo Guthrie Honors ‘Lifelong Friend’ Alice Brock

In a message posted to Facebook, Guthrie paid tribute to his departed friend.

“I first met Alice in 1962 when she was the school librarian at The Stockbridge School, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. I was there beginning my second of four years. I also met, Rick Robbins, another student, and we’ve been friends ever since,” Guthrie recalled. “Rick and I went to visit Ray and Alice for Thanksgiving in 1965. The rest is history. Alice went into the restaurant business and I began my years as an entertainer. We were, both in our own ways, successful. As well as being a restauranteur, Alice also became an author, and an artist. We worked together on various projects. During the next few decades we remained friends while our lives kept us busy. She was a no-nonsense gal, with a great sense of humor.”

“This coming Thanksgiving will be the first without her,” Guthrie continued, describing Brock as a “lifelong friend.” “Alice and I spoke by phone a couple of weeks ago, and she sounded like her old self. We joked around and had a couple of good laughs even though we knew we’d never have another chance to talk together.”

Listen to ‘Alice’s Restaurant Massacre’