Huddie (Leadbelly) Ledbetter
Induction Year: 1989
Birth Name: Huddie William - Leadbelly Ledbetter
Birth Date: January 20, 1889
Place of Birth: Mooringsport, LA
Deceased: December 06, 1949
Place of Death: New York, NY
Discography / Career Highlights
Career Milestones:
1903--got first guitar
1912--met now-famous folk musician, Blind Lemon Jefferson in Dallas; the two teamed up as an act
1933--first big break came when he was in prison in Louisiana (Angola State Penitentiary) when Library of Congress folk song expert Dr. John A. Lomax and his son Alan came to record prison songs and met Huddie; recorded for the Library of Congress
1933--first recording of "Irene" (later known as "Goodnight, Irene")
1934--recorded again for the Lomaxes' Library of Congress recordings
1934--went on the road with John Lomax, helping him collect more black folk songs
1934--performed in Philadelphia at the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association (the nation's largest organization of scholars of literature and language)
1934--traveled to New York City for the first time with Lomax
1935--gave his first informal concert in New York on the evening of New Year's Day for a gathering of Columbia and New York University professors and various writers and news reporters
1935--signed a management contract with John Lomax
1935--article on Leadbelly appeared in the Herald Tribune; introduced him to New York and the world at large and would also be the source of much of the Leadbelly legend in later years
1935--first radio broadcast--an audition for a guest spot for Rudy Vallee's radio show, The Fleischmann Hour on NBC
1935--signed record contract with the American Recording Corporation (ARC)
1935--starred in a newsreel based on the story of his life
1936--release of John Lomaxes' book, "Negro Folk Songs as Sung by Lead Belly" for Macmillan; was considered the first serious, full-length portrait of a folksinger in American literature
1937--began writing and singing political folk songs
1940--performed at a "Grapes of Wrath Evening," a concert organized by actor Will Geer to raise money for California migrant workers; held at a Broadway theater in New York City
1940--hosted radio show, "Folksongs of America" on WNYC in New York
1940--recorded for RCA Victor
1941--did a new series of recordings for Alan Lomax and the Library of Congress
1941--began recording for Moses "Moe" Asch, marking an important turning point in his life; some of Ledbetter's continued success was due to Folkways Records (now Smithsonian/Folkways) under Asch's guidance, who for decades, kept Ledbetter's catalog alive
1944-1946--moved to Hollywood, hoping to find mainstream success
1944--recorded for Capitol Records
1949--began a series of concerts in Paris
Awards:
1986--Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame induction
1988--Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame induction (inducted along with the Beatles, the Drifters, the Beach Boys, and Woody Guthrie)
Catalog Highlights:
"Goodnight Irene" - Co-writer: John Lomax, Artists: Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers (1950), Frank Sinatra, Red Foley & Ernest Tubb, Moon Mullican (1950), Leadbelly, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, Nat King Cole, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Odetta, Gene Autry
"Rock Island Line" - Artists: Leadbelly, Johnny Cash, Harry Belafonte, The Weavers, Lonnie Donegan, Little Richard
"Midnight Special" - Co-writer: John Lomax, Artists: Leadbelly, The Weavers
"Cotton Fields" (The Cotton Song) - Artists: Highwaymen (1962), Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Teresa Brewer
"The Bourgeoise Blues" - Co-writer: John Lomax, Artists: Leadbelly, Ry Cooder, Taj Majal, Pete Seeger
Comments:
Received the Award of Merit from the Oklahoma Folklore Society
Got nickname "Leadbelly" from other field hands because he was such a fast worker
Has been called "King of the 12-string Guitar"
After serving 7 years of a thirty year prison term at Huntsville, Texas' Shaw State Prison Farm, Ledbetter was released after begging pardon from the governor with a song ("Please, Governor Neff, be good 'n' kind, have mercy on my great long time...I don't see to save my soul, if I don't get a pardon, try me on a parole...if I had you, Governor Neff, like you got me, I'd wake up in the mornin' and I'd set you free)
