Information AboutLeadbelly |
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, though he typically played twelve string guitar]] Leadbelly (born '''Huddie William Ledbetter'''; January 21 , 1885 – December 6 , 1949 ) was an American Folk and Blues Musician , notable for his clear and forceful singing, his virtuosity on the Twelve String Guitar , and the rich songbook of folk standards he introduced. BIOGRAPHY Early life Leadbelly was born to Wesley and Sally Ledbetter in a Plantation near Mooringsport, Louisiana , but the family moved to Leigh, Texas when he was five. It was there he received his first instrument, an Accordion from his uncle, and by his early-20s, after fathering at least two children, he left home to find his living as a guitarist (and occasionally, as a laborer). Leadbelly would later claim that as a youth, he would "make it" with 8 to 10 women a night. The Prison Years until "Discovery" by Lomax Leadbelly's boastful spirit and penchant for the occasional skirmish sometimes led him into trouble with the law, and in 1918 he was thrown into a Texas jail for the second time, this time after killing a man in a fight. He was released seven years into his twenty year sentence after writing a song appealing to Governor Pat Neff for his freedom. This is how the legend goes but in reality Leadbelly was due for early release due to good behavior. In 1930 , Leadbelly was back in prison, this time in Louisiana for attempted Homicide . It was there, three years later, that he was "discovered" by Musicologists John and Alan Lomax , who were enchanted by his talent, passion and singularity as a performer, and recorded hundreds of his songs on portable recording equipment for the Library Of Congress . The following year Leadbelly was once again pardoned, this time after a Petition for his early release was taken to Louisiana Governor O.K. Allen by the Lomaxes (it was on the other side of a recording of one of his most popular songs, " Goodnight Irene "). Life after Prison Indebted to the Lomaxes, Leadbelly allowed Alan to take him under his wing, and in late 1934 migrated North to New York City with him, where he attained fame, though not fortune. In 1935 he married Martha Promise, and began recording with the American Record Corporation , but achieved little commercial success with these records (in part because the company insisted he record Blues songs rather than the folk he was better known for), and the couple struggled financially. In 1939 he was back in jail for assault. Upon his release in 1940 , Leadbelly returned to a surging New York folk scene, and befriended the likes of Woody Guthrie and a young Pete Seeger . During the first half of the decade he recorded for RCA , the Library of Congress, and for Moe Asch (future founder of Folkways Records ), and in 1944 headed to California , where he recorded strong sessions for Capitol Records . In 1949 he began his first European tour, but fell ill before its completion, and was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis , or Lou Gehrig 's disease. Leadbelly died later that year in New York City, and was buried in the Shiloh Baptist Church cemetery, 8 miles west of Blanchard, Louisiana , in Caddo Parish . LEGACY OF SONG Leadbelly's vast songbook, much of which he adapted from previous sources, has provided material for numerous folk, country, pop and rock acts since his time, including Seeger's band The Weavers (who had a hit with "Goodnight Irene" the year after his death), The Animals (who had a hit with " The House Of The Rising Sun " in 1964 ), Creedence Clearwater Revival (who recorded a popular version of "Midnight Special" in 1969 ), and Kurt Cobain (who covered " Where Did You Sleep Last Night " in 1993 to close Nirvana 's MTV Unplugged performance). He has also been covered by Lonnie Donegan , Johnny Cash , Gene Autry , The Beach Boys , Led Zeppelin , Mungo Jerry , Paul King , Mark Lanegan , Michelle Shocked , British Sea Power , Creedence Clearwater Revival , and The White Stripes , among many others, and has been mentioned in songs by Bob Dylan , Van Morrison , Pearl Jam , and Stone Temple Pilots . Pete Seeger wrote a song about Leadbelly. FILM A Leadbelly Biopic , titled '' Leadbelly '', was released in 1976 . It was directed by Gordon Parks , and stars Roger E. Mosley in the title role. The film chronicles Leadbelly's life until his final release from prison. SONGS
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY The Library of Congress recordings Leadbelly's complete Library Of Congress recordings, done by John and Alan Lomax from 1934 to 1943 , were released in a six volume series by Rounder Records in the early-to-mid 1990s :
Other compilations
SAMPLES
EXTERNAL LINKS
REFERENCES White, Stuart, Aviva "Music in Our World" pp 196 |
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