Long was born in Des Moines, Iowa, into a
working-class family. His grandfather left school after the sixth grade to work in the
coal mines of
Missouri and later moved to Des Moines, where he operated a fish market. Long worked in the fish market as a child, which brought him into contact with people from different backgrounds, including local Jewish and African-American communities. His family volunteered in
homeless shelters during their free time. After retiring, his grandfather became a street preacher and working-class poet, emphasizing a strong ethic of human decency. When Long was about ten years old, his father, a coffee salesman, was transferred to Minnesota, and the family moved to
St. Louis Park. Two years after the move, Long's father died at age thirty-six, leaving Long and his two sisters to be raised by their mother. The family struggled financially but received support from community members, such as grocery store owners, friends, neighbors, and members of his mother's church. The early loss of his father had a significant impact on Long, shaping his outlook on life. Long's musical foundation came from his upbringing in Baptist churches in Des Moines, where he listened to hymns. His mother played piano, and his father sang around the house and listened to popular singers, while Long preferred contemporary artists. Through
Bob Dylan, Long discovered
Woody Guthrie and felt a strong connection to Guthrie's life and music. Reading Guthrie's autobiography,
Bound for Glory, motivated Long to pursue a similar path, focusing on honoring working-class people and their stories through music. Not long after his twentieth birthday, Long left Minnesota, hitchhiked across the country, and traveled with a fiddle player. He wrote songs inspired by his experiences and the people he met, developing a deep loyalty to working-class communities. These early experiences influenced his commitment to giving voice to everyday people and shaped the direction of his musical career. ==Career==