Tuesday, 31 March, 2009 15:52
by Pat Gill
Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter was a man whose life, like that of any other man, had its ups and downs. Good or bad, he told the world about those things through his music, becoming one of the most well-known and inspirational American folk blues musicians of all- time.
On Saturday, May 9, Lead Belly and his legacy will be celebrated with the first-ever Lead Belly Blues Festival at Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport.
The event will feature musicians Buddy Flett; Ruthie Foster; Bobby Rush; Kenny Neal and The Neal Family Reunion; Eddie Shaw and the Wolfgang; Johnny Rawls and Destiny Rawls; James Robinson; and The Bluebirds.
Lead Belly was born on a plantation on January 20, 1889, in nearby Mooringsport. By the time he was 14 years old, he was a popular musician and singer in the weekend “sukey jumps” and “juke joints.” He later became known as the “King of the 12-String Guitar,” with “Stella,” as he affectionately called his guitar, held tightly in his hands. In between prison stints, he performed and wrote songs, of which the most notable are “Goodnight Irene” and “House of the Rising Sun.”
Today Lead Belly is remembered not only as a musical giant but a legend in his own right throughout the world. Artists like The Beetles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Little Richard,have all expressed their early studies of music to Lead Belly's records. Many of his songs can be found in the Library of Congress, where generations to come can listen and enjoy them.
Tickets to the Lead Belly Blues Festival are $25 in advance. For tickets or for more information, call 1-877-7-LBELLY or visit http://leadbellybluesfestival.com.
Credit: The Lead Belly Foundation