Leadbelly, 1885-1949

Huddie Ledbetter (January 20, 1889 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer. He was notable for his vocals, twelve-string guitar, and the folk standards he introduced, including his renditions of "In the Pines" (also known as "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" and “Black Girl”), "Pick a Bale of Cotton", "Goodnight, Irene", "Black Betty", "Midnight Special", "Cotton Fields", and "Boll Weevil". In addition to vocals and guitar, Ledbetter also played piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, and accordion. In some recordings he used clapping or stomping. Ledbetter's songs covered several genres, including gospel music, blues, and folk music, as well as topics including women, liquor, prison life, racism, cowboys, work, sailors, cattle herding, and dancing. He wrote songs about newsworthy people, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, Jean Harlow, Jack Johnson, the Scottsboro Boys, and Howard Hughes. Ledbetter was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008. Though many releases credit him as "Leadbelly," he wrote his stage name as "Lead Belly". This is the spelling on his tombstone and is used by the Lead Belly Foundation. He did not care for the "Lead Belly" stage name. He always introduced himself by his given name, Huddie Ledbetter.