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Huddie Ledbetter
Biography
Huddie Ledbetter, known as “LeadBelly” was born
January 20 (or 29), 1885 (or 1889), in Mooringsport,
Louisiana (near Shreveport). LeadBelly, a nickname
acquired in prison for his physical toughness, was the
only child of Wesley and Sally Ledbetter His parents
moved to Leigh, Texas when he was five and it was there
that he became interested in music, encouraged by his
Uncle Terrell who bought Huddie his first musical
instrument, an accordion.
In 1916 (or 1918), LeadBelly fought and killed a man
in Dallas and was sentenced to thirty years to be served
in the state prison in Huntsville, Texas.
In 1925, LeadBelly wrote a song asking Governor Pat
Neff for a pardon. Neff, as legend goes, set Huddie
Ledbetter free.
In 1930, LeadBelly was arrested, tried, and
convicted of attempted homicide and sentenced to another
prison term in the infamous Angola Farm prison
plantation in Louisiana.
In July 1933 LeadBelly met folklorist John
Lomax and his son Alan who were touring the south for
the Library of Congress collecting unwritten ballads and
folk songs using newly available recording technology.
On August 1, 1934 LeadBelly got his
pardon with the ballad “Goodnight Irene.”
On September 1, 1934 John Lomax agreed to hire
LeadBelly as an assistant on his recording travels. the
arrangement proved successful, so much so that Lomax
decided to take Leadbelly to New York.
In 1935 Lomax took LeadBelly north to New York
where he became a sensation.
He forged a reputation on the folk circuit, making
personal appearances, recording for a variety of labels
and doing radio work.
In 1936 John and Alan Lomax published with
Macmillan Negro Folk Songs as Sung by LeadBelly.
In early 1939 Huddie was arrested for
assault. During the trial LeadBelly made his first
commercial recordings since 1935, for a small company
known as "Musicraft," which had left-wing and liberal
associations. LeadBelly recorded some 13 tracks and
received a small advance on the royalties.
He was convicted by a jury of third-degree assault.
He was sentenced to less than a year on Riker's Island
prison, eventually serving just eight months.
In early 1940, LeadBelly was released, and moved back
into the New York folk circuit. He had become well known
in the recording industry.
In the early 40s, Ledbetter performed with
Josh White, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and Woody
Guthrie.
In 1944 LeadBelly headed to Hollywood. There
he made a reasonable living in conditions favored by
the Californian defense industry, playing the club
circuits.
He also had the opportunity to record some material
for Capitol records, unusually backed by zither,
including some rare piano rags very seldom featured in
his repertoire.
The Capitol sessions remain some of LeadBelly's best
recorded work.
In 1948 LeadBelly cut, with the aid of the
newly invented long playing record, what would later
become known as his Last Sessions, a definitive document
of The Life and Music of the King of the
Twelve-String Guitar.
In 1949 Ledbetter fell ill with Lou Gehrig’s
disease on a European Tour.
On December 6, 1949, LeadBelly died in New York.
. . .
Source:
http://cycad.com/cgi-bin/Leadbelly/biog.html |
