Huddie Ledbetter (Artist: Leadbelly or Lead Belly, January 20, 1888 - Decem… Read Full Bio ↴Huddie Ledbetter (Artist: Leadbelly or Lead Belly, January 20, 1888 - December 6, 1949) was an iconic American folk and blues musician, and multi-instrumentalist, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced.
Although Lead Belly most commonly played the twelve-string, he could also play the piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, and accordion. In some of his recordings, such as in one of his versions of the folk ballad "John Hardy", he performs on the accordion instead of the guitar. In other recordings he just sings while clapping his hands or stomping his foot.
The topics of Lead Belly's music covered a wide range of subjects, including gospel songs; blues songs about women, liquor, prison life, and racism; and folk songs about cowboys, prison, work, sailors, cattle herding, and dancing. He also wrote songs concerning the newsmakers of the day, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, Jean Harlow, the Scottsboro Boys, and Howard Hughes.
In 2008, Lead Belly was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Though many of his posthumous releases list him as "Leadbelly," he himself spelled it "Lead Belly." This is also the usage on most of his original records, tombstone, as well as of the Lead Belly Foundation.
Leadbelly was born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, and spent time in and out of prison most of his life. In 1933, serving a sentence for attempted murder, musicologists John and Alan Lomax "discovered" him on a field recording tour sponsored by the Library of Congress. That summer, he was pardoned by the governor of Lousiana after recording his plea for pardon on a record, together with "Good Night Irene". Leadbelly went on to make hundreds of recordings of all sorts of different songs: country, blues, spirituals, reels, and work chants.
His songs have been covered by Mark Lanegan, The Animals, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nirvana, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Cash, Gene Autry, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, British Sea Power, Ram Jam, Ry Cooder, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Half Man Half Biscuit, Tom Waits, Shocking Blue, The White Stripes, Long John Baldry.
Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Biography: Lead Belly Biography
BIO Biography: Lead Belly Biography
Lead Belly Foundation: Lead Belly Foundation.org
Lead Belly is also on Last.fm as Lead Belly
Although Lead Belly most commonly played the twelve-string, he could also play the piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, and accordion. In some of his recordings, such as in one of his versions of the folk ballad "John Hardy", he performs on the accordion instead of the guitar. In other recordings he just sings while clapping his hands or stomping his foot.
The topics of Lead Belly's music covered a wide range of subjects, including gospel songs; blues songs about women, liquor, prison life, and racism; and folk songs about cowboys, prison, work, sailors, cattle herding, and dancing. He also wrote songs concerning the newsmakers of the day, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, Jean Harlow, the Scottsboro Boys, and Howard Hughes.
In 2008, Lead Belly was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Though many of his posthumous releases list him as "Leadbelly," he himself spelled it "Lead Belly." This is also the usage on most of his original records, tombstone, as well as of the Lead Belly Foundation.
Leadbelly was born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, and spent time in and out of prison most of his life. In 1933, serving a sentence for attempted murder, musicologists John and Alan Lomax "discovered" him on a field recording tour sponsored by the Library of Congress. That summer, he was pardoned by the governor of Lousiana after recording his plea for pardon on a record, together with "Good Night Irene". Leadbelly went on to make hundreds of recordings of all sorts of different songs: country, blues, spirituals, reels, and work chants.
His songs have been covered by Mark Lanegan, The Animals, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nirvana, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Cash, Gene Autry, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, British Sea Power, Ram Jam, Ry Cooder, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Half Man Half Biscuit, Tom Waits, Shocking Blue, The White Stripes, Long John Baldry.
Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Biography: Lead Belly Biography
BIO Biography: Lead Belly Biography
Lead Belly Foundation: Lead Belly Foundation.org
Lead Belly is also on Last.fm as Lead Belly
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When the Sun Goes Down, Volume 5: Take This Hammer
Lead Belly & The Golden Gate Quartet Lyrics
Alabama Bound I'm Alabama bound I'm Alabama bound And if the train don't t…
Grey Goose Well, las' Monday mornin', Lawd, Lawd, Lawd Well, las' Monda…
Midnight Special Yonder comes Miss Rosie, how in the world do you…
Pick A Bale Of Cotton Great God Almighty gonna pick a bale of cotton Great God…
Rock Island Line [Chorus] Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road, O…
Stewball Stewball was a good horse And he held a high head And…
Take This Hammer Take this hammer, carry it to the captain Take this hammer,…
We also have lyrics for these tracks by Lead Belly:
Alabama Bound I'm Alabama bound I'm Alabama bound And if the train don't…
Alberta Alberta, Alberta, Where you been so long? Alberta, Alberta…
Easy Rider She's a noted rider Whoa, she ain't no good She got drunk…
Good Morning Blues Now this is the blues There was a white man had…
Grey Goose Well, las' Monday mornin', Lawd, Lawd, Lawd Well, las' Mond…
I'm on My Last Go-Round Era lo bonito del mar, cuando estás a mi lado…
Midnight Special Yonder comes Miss Rosie, how in the world do you…
New York City i'm in new york city i'm gonna lower my line new…
Pick a Bale of Cotton Great God Almighty gonna pick a bale of cotton Great God…
Red Cross Store Blues I told her no! Baby you know I don't want to…
Roberta Oh, Roberta tell me how long, how long Oh, Roberta tell…
rock Island Line [Chorus] Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road, O…
Stewball Stewball was a good horse And he held a high head And…
Take This Hammer Take this hammer, carry it to the captain Take this hammer,…
You Can't Lose-a Me Cholly I went a-rowing and my gal went too, Down on the…
We also have lyrics for these tracks by The Golden Gate Quartet:
Alabama Bound I'm Alabama bound I'm Alabama bound And if the train don't t…
Pick a Bale of Cotton Great God Almighty gonna pick a bale of cotton Great God…
Rock Island Line Now this here's a story about the Rock Island Line Well…