The Midnight Special Tribute Event

For those of you who follow the Lead Belly Foundation's twitter page/this blog, you know that we produced a Lead Belly themed event on July 11 in Seattle at Lo Fi Gallery. It featured live music by the Jelly Rollers, as well as stencils by Jonathan "Wakuda" Fisher and exclusive photos of Lead Belly from the archive. Above is a picture of one of the beautiful stencils.

We feel the event was a great success, and we look forward to continued events in Seattle and around the US celebrating Lead Belly's life and legacy!

A Very Original Cover of Midnight Special by the Creedence Clearwater Revival

One Blogger Shares a Dream About Lead Belly

Click the title to go the blog.

Talking to Alvin Singh

We took some time to sit down with Alvin Singh, Lead Belly's great nephew. He shared with us a wonderful story about Lead Belly that he heard as he traveled around the country to shoot the Lead Belly documentary, coming out this fall (the link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X9svGYLXwA). Please take a few minutes and hear how Lead Belly touched one person's life.

HCTLG Feat Keith Harkin - Leadbelly

HCTLG Feat Keith Harkin - Leadbelly

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This is a link to Keith Harkin playing his song entitled "Lead Belly."

The Man in Black and The Rock Island Line

"The Rock Island Line" is a song written by Lead Belly in the 1930s. It is about the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad. The song was originally sang a Capella. Here is a great clip of a cover by Johnny Cash. The evolution of the song is evident through the big band arrangement.

Paul McCartney Playing "The Midnight Special" -- A Classic

Billy Bragg redefines Lead Belly's Classic "Bourgeois Blues".

Lead Belly originally wrote one of his most famous songs after encountering racism in Washington D.C. His experience is expressed in the song which later became a Library of congress recording. In 2006, England's "folk-punk-poet-bard" Billy Bragg decided, after dissaproval with the current U.S. Government under the George W. Bush Administration, to put his own spin to the song. "Bush War Blues" exhibits the heavy influence of Lead Belly and allows the classic song to remain timeless.
A link to the song can be found here: Billy Bragg "Bush War Blues"
-Jake Kennelly, The Lead Belly Foundation

Kurt Cobain and Mark Lanegan Sing Lead Belly

Lead Belly Blues Festival video Part 1 of 4

NW Folklife Festival Tribute To Lead Belly 2009

This year the Northwest Folklife Festival in conjuction with the Lead Belly Foundation hosted a Tribute to Lead Belly concert in Seattle, WA on Memorial Day.  

The festival was a sold out audience and many people could not get in due to a long line outside the concert's venue.  Alvin Singh hosted the event and spoke about his work as curator for the Lead Belly Archives.  " I think this concert was a great introduction to the many things to come in the Seattle area" said Singh.  " My great uncle would have been proud to know so many fans turned out to hear his music even 60 years after his passing" Singh later explained.  

A photo slideshow was presented and the audience even got a chance to watch Lead Belly perform in one of the three rare video footage's of him singing.  The bands featured were from all different genres of music from Hawaiian blues, folk, rock and a jazz band that sang the final song once sung by Lead Belly before he closed his performances "Goodnight Irene".

www.Leadbelly.org

Lead Belly Blues Festival Article

Shreveport Times newspaper wrote a great article on the 1st annual Lead Belly Blues Festival on May 9th.

The article is written by longtime Lead Belly fan and journalist John Andrew Prime who has written extensively on the life and legacy of Huddie Ledbetter.

Here is his article:
Blues Festival Honors Music Icon

Lead Belly - Grey Goose

JOan Baez sings House if the rising sun

www.Leadbelly.org

Lead Belly Blues & Folk Festival 2009

The Lead Belly Blues & Folk Festival was featured recently on Kijiji website. Check here to see the post.

May 9. 2009

Shreveport, LA

Lead Belly - Easy Rider

www.leadbellybluesfestival.com

Lead Belly Blues & Folk Festival

The Lead Belly Blues & Folk Festival is coming on May 9th at Shreveport, LA the birthplace of the "King of the 12-string Guitar".

This is the first annual folk & blues festival hosted by the city of Shreveport and Lead Belly's family relatives.  The third largest city in Louisiana Shreveport is separated from Bossier City by the Red River.  This music extravaganza will be an event you do not want to miss so get your ticket at Lead Belly Folk & Blue Festival.

Roots of Blues - Lead Belly

Lead Belly Blues Festival  GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!