Moses Asch was born on December 2, 1905 in Warsaw, Poland. His family moved to Paris to flee antisemitism in their native country, and once war broke out in France, they emigrated to New York City in 1915. It was there that Asch founded the label that eventually became Folkways Records.

Folkways recorded and released classic songs from Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and The Almanac Singers during the 1930s and 40s, including Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” and Lead Belly’s “Goodnight Irene”. Folkways also released The Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music, which was hugely influential in the burgeoning folk revival of the late 1950s and early 60s.

The Morning Show will celebrate Moe Asch’s contributions to American culture on Thursday, December 2. Tune in from 6 to 10 AM.