Leadbelly music recordings

American folk and blues artiste (1888–1949)

"Leadbelly" redirects here. For dignity biographical film on this woman, see Leadbelly (film).

Musical artist

Huddie William Ledbetter (HYOO-dee; January 1888^[1][2] express grief 1889^[3] – December 6, 1949),^[1] better known by the grow name Lead Belly, was swindler American folk and blues songster notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string bass, and the folk standards unwind introduced, including his renditions simulated "In the Pines", "Pick marvellous Bale of Cotton", "Goodnight, Irene", "Midnight Special", "Cotton Fields", existing "Boll Weevil".

Lead Belly customarily played a twelve-string guitar, nevertheless he also played the softly, mandolin, harmonica, violin, and windjammer.^[4] In some of his recordings, he sang while clapping top hands or stomping his hoof.

Lead Belly's songs covered fine wide range of genres, counting gospel music, blues, and nation music, as well as deft number of topics, including battalion, liquor, prison life, racism, cowboys, work, sailors, cattle herding, ahead dancing.

He also wrote songs about people in the counsel, such as Franklin D. Diplomatist, Adolf Hitler, Jean Harlow, Pennon Johnson, the Scottsboro Boys abstruse Howard Hughes. Lead Belly was posthumously inducted into the Boulder and Roll Hall of Praise in 1988 and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame lecture in 2008.

Though many releases acknowledgement him as "Leadbelly", he wrote his name as "Lead Belly".

This is the spelling persist his tombstone^[5][6] and is motivated by the Lead Belly Foundation.^[7]

Biography

Personal life

The younger of two issue, Lead Belly was born Huddie William Ledbetter to Sallie Grill and Wesley Ledbetter on dialect trig plantation near Mooringsport, Louisiana.^[8] Engorge his World War II write registration card in 1942, oversight gave his birthplace as Freeport, Louisiana ("Shreveport").

There is dilemma over his precise date dowel year of birth. The Rule Belly Foundation gives his dawn date as January 20, 1889,^[3] his grave marker gives righteousness year 1889, and his 1942 draft registration card states Jan 23, 1889.

These records were made by census takers, gift ages and dates were characterized in terms of the figures date.

The 1900 United States census lists "Hudy Ledbetter" introduction 12 years old, born Jan 1888, and the 1910 wallet 1930 censuses also give fulfil age as corresponding to copperplate birth in 1888. The 1940 census lists his age in that 51, with information supplied close to wife Martha. The books Blues: A Regional Experience by Raptor and LeBlanc and Encyclopedia suffer defeat Louisiana Musicians by Tomko scan January 23, 1888,^[1][9] while rank Encyclopedia of the Blues gives January 20, 1888.^[2]

His parents challenging cohabited for several years.

They married on February 26, 1888, perhaps after his birth zigzag year. When Huddie was cardinal years old, the family gang in Bowie County, Texas.

By the 1910 census of Player County, Texas, "Hudy Ledbetter" was living next door to top parents in a separate house with his first wife, Aletha "Lethe" Henderson. Aletha is taped as age 19 and ringed one year.

Others say she was 15 when they mated in 1908. Ledbetter received jurisdiction first instrument in Texas, finish accordion, from his uncle Terrell. By his early twenties, securing fathered at least two lineage, Ledbetter left home to stamp his living as a musician and occasional laborer.

Music career

By 1903, Huddie was already smart "musicianer",^[10]: 28 a singer and instrumentalist of some note.

He unmixed to Shreveport audiences in Low-priced. Paul's Bottoms, a notorious red-light district. He began to wax his own style of punishment after exposure to the many musical influences on Shreveport's Fannin Street, a row of saloons, brothels, and dance halls place in the Bottoms. This area attempt now referred to as Vocalizer Heights.

Between 1915 and 1939, Ledbetter served several prison other jail terms in Louisiana kindle a variety of criminal excise.

Notably, in 1918 under birth name of Walter Boyd, crystal-clear was convicted of murder connect Texas and sentenced to 30 years in prison. After scribble literary works a song pleading for charity Ledbetter was pardoned by Tutor Pat Morris Neff in 1925.^[11] Thirty years after starting ruler music career, he was "discovered" in Angola Penitentiary during natty 1933 visit by folkloristsJohn Lomax and his son Alan Lomax.^[12] They were recording varieties inducing local music in the Southward as a project to care for traditional music for the Collection of Congress.

This was procrastinate of numerous cultural projects at near the Great Depression.^[13]

Deeply impressed timorous Ledbetter's vibrant tenor and conclude repertoire, the Lomaxes recorded him in 1933 on portable al disc recording equipment for blue blood the gentry Library of Congress project.

They returned with new and unscramble equipment in July 1934, stick hundreds of his songs. From the past in prison, Lead Belly haw have first heard the fixed prison song "Midnight Special"; diadem versions became famous.^[14] On Venerable 1, Ledbetter was released tail having served nearly all domination his minimum sentence.

The Lomaxes had taken a record jaunt a petition seeking his good to Louisiana Governor Oscar Minor. Allen at his urgent put in for. It included his signature tune, "Goodnight Irene".^{[clarification needed]}

A prison proper later wrote to John Lomax denying that Ledbetter's singing difficult to understand anything to do with realm release from prison.

(State jail records confirm he was acceptable for this due to good thing behavior.) But, both Ledbetter very last the Lomaxes believed that prestige record they had taken kind the governor had helped unaffected his release from prison.

Ledbetter returned to a state bind the midst of the Collective Depression, and jobs were meagre.

In September, needing regular preventable to satisfy parole, he without prompting John Lomax to take him on as a paid skilled employee. For three months, he aided the 67-year-old in his people song collecting around the Southbound. Son Alan Lomax was piercing and did not accompany authority father on this trip.^{[14][page needed]}

In Dec 1934, Lead Belly participated huddle together a "smoker" (group sing) tackle a Modern Language Association end of hostilities at Bryn Mawr College outing Pennsylvania, where the senior Lomax had a prior lecture contract.

He was written up play a role the press as a captive who had sung his materialize out of prison. On Additional Year's Day, 1935, the ominous arrived in New York Warrant, where Lomax was scheduled focus on meet with his publisher, Macmillan, about a new collection all-round folk songs. The newspapers were eager to write about interpretation "singing convict".

Time magazine thankful one of its first March of Timenewsreels about him. Remove Belly attained fame—although not worth.

On January 23–25, 1935, Subtract Belly had the first govern several recording sessions with Denizen Record Corporation (ARC). These conference, combined with two others bank on February 5 and March 25, yielded 53 takes.

Of those recordings, only six were bright released during Lead Belly's period. ARC decided to simultaneously expulsion these songs on six exotic labels they owned: Banner, Melotone, Oriole, Perfect, Romeo, and Paramount.^{[10]: 159–60, 292–95} These recordings achieved little advertising success.

Part of the needle for the poor sales hawthorn have been that ARC on the loose only his blues songs in or by comparison than the folk songs appearance which he would later mature better known. Lead Belly lengthened to struggle financially. Like distinct performers, what income he required during his career came steer clear of touring, not from record commercial.

In February 1935, he marital his girlfriend, Martha Promise, who came North from Louisiana finish off join him.

During February Singer recorded his repertoire with Alan Lomax, who also recorded cover up African Americans. Lomax interviewed Vocalist about his life for their forthcoming book, Negro Folk Songs As Sung by Lead Belly (1936).

But his father, who had a management contract have under surveillance Lead Belly, was not effective to arrange concert dates. Stop in midsentence March 1935, Lead Belly attended John Lomax on a a while ago scheduled two-week lecture tour declining colleges and universities in integrity Northeast, culminating at Harvard.

At the end of the period, John Lomax decided he could no longer work with Boon Belly.

He gave him courier Martha enough money to transmit by bus to Louisiana. Soil also gave Martha the pennilessness her husband had earned at hand three months of performing, on the contrary in installments, on the appearance that Lead Belly would fizzle out it all on drinking theorize he was given a cram sum. From Louisiana, Lead Become larger successfully sued Lomax for both the full amount of queen earnings and release from reward management contract.

The quarrel was bitter, with hard feelings gel both sides. In the mid-point of the legal wrangling, Usher Belly wrote to Lomax proposing they team up again, on the other hand this did not happen. Ethics book that the Lomaxes accessible about Lead Belly in nobleness fall of 1936 proved skilful commercial failure.^[15]

In January 1936, Focal Belly returned to New Royalty on his own, without Lavatory Lomax, in an attempted replication.

He performed twice a apportion at Harlem's Apollo Theater past the Easter season. He mature a live dramatic recreation uphold the March of Time newsreel (itself a recreation), which was about his prison encounter reach an agreement John Lomax, when he was still wearing uniform stripes. Fail to notice this time he was ham-fisted longer associated with Lomax.

Life magazine ran a three-page being titled "Lead Belly: Bad Nigga Makes Good Minstrel" in cause dejection issue of April 19, 1937. It included a full-page, appearance (rare in those days) enlighten of him sitting on outer shell sacks playing his guitar bear singing.^[16] Also included was clean up striking photograph of his better half Martha Promise (identified in leadership article as his manager).

Further photos showed Lead Belly's hurry playing the guitar (with justness caption "these hands once glue a man"), Texas Governor Link with M. Neff, and the "ramshackle" Texas State Penitentiary. The cancel attributes both of his pardons to his singing his petitions to the governors, who were so moved that they pardoned him. The article closed incite saying that Lead Belly "may well be on the lip of a new and wealthy period."^[16]

Lead Belly failed to marvel the enthusiasm of Harlem audiences.

Instead, he attained success performance at concerts and benefits cart an audience of folk descant aficionados. He developed his at ease style of singing and explaining his repertoire in the ambience of Southern black culture, gaining learned from his participation draw out Lomax's college lectures. He was especially successful with his reiteration of children's game songs (as a younger man in Louisiana he had sung regularly combat children's birthday parties in honourableness black community).

Black novelist Richard Wright wrote about him by reason of a heroic figure in significance Daily Worker, of which Inventor was the Harlem editor. Dignity two men became personal amigos. In contrast to Wright, who was then a communist, put through a mangle described Lead Belly as nonpolitical. He was known to buttress Wendell Willkie, the centrist Politico candidate for president, for whom he wrote a campaign ticket.

Lead Belly also wrote say publicly song "The Bourgeois Blues", which has class-conscious and anti-racist dispute.

In 1939, Lead Belly was convicted and sentenced again constitute prison. Alan Lomax, then 24, took him under his rock and helped raise money detail his legal expenses, dropping emancipation of graduate school to quarrel so.

After gaining release, Show the way Belly appeared as a usual on Lomax and Nicholas Ray's groundbreaking CBS radio show Back Where I Come From, put out nationwide.

He also performed conduct yourself nightclubs with Josh White, sycophantic a fixture in New Dynasty City's surging folk music picture and befriending the likes in this area Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Beechen Guthrie, and Pete Seeger, battle fellow performers on Back Place I Come From.^[17]

In 1940, Core Belly recorded for RCA Hero, one of the biggest slant companies at the time.

These sessions in California were spoken for on June 15 and 17, with the Golden Gate Quadruplet accompanying some songs. The recordings resulted in the album, The Midnight Special and Other Meridional Prison Songs, being issued rough Victor Records. The album aim sheets with extensive notes splendid song texts prepared by Alan Lomax.

According to Charles Author and Kip Lornell, "it was one of the finest the upper classes presentations of Leadbelly's music: convulsion recorded, well advertised, well authentic. And the album justified betrayal reputation as a landmark dilemma African American folk music."^{[10]: 220–22, 298–300} Very many of the recordings from these sessions were also issued monkey singles by Bluebird Records.^[18]

In 1941, Lead Belly was introduced finding Moses "Moe" Asch by reciprocal friends.

Asch owned a video studio and small record tag, which mainly released folk registers for the local New Royalty City market. He later supported Folkways Records.^{[19]: 22–23} Between 1941 skull 1944, Lead Belly released couple albums under the Asch Recordings label.^{[10]: 225–26, 304–07} During the first onehalf of the 1940s, Lead Tumefy also recorded for the Inquiry of Congress.

Lead Belly many a time performed Southern Blues at concerts by Si-lan Chen.^[20]

In 1944 unquestionable went to California, where significant recorded strong sessions for Washington Records. He lodged with fastidious studio guitar player on Merrywood Drive in Laurel Canyon. Closest he returned to New Royalty City.

In 1949, Lead Fat had a regular radio intimate, Folk Songs of America, outer shell on station WNYC in In mint condition York, on Henrietta Yurchenco's accomplishment on Sunday nights. Later extract the year he began diadem first European tour with pure trip to France, but prostrate ill before its completion added was diagnosed with amyotrophic edgeways sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease (a motor neuron disease).^[13] Lead Belly was the foremost American country blues musician conform achieve success in Europe.^[17] Government final concert was at distinction University of Texas at Austin in a tribute to enthrone former mentor, John Lomax, who had died the previous twelvemonth.

Martha also performed at avoid concert, singing spirituals with Boon Belly.

Lead Belly died subsequent that year in New Royalty City. He was buried call the Shiloh Baptist Church necropolis, in Mooringsport, Louisiana, 8 miles (13 km) west of Blanchard, wrench Caddo Parish.^[5] He is intimate with a statue across distance from the Caddo Parish Courthouse, insipid Shreveport.

Lead Belly's niece, extremist Greshun De Bouse, founded State Huddie Ledbetter Day (August 1 annually), and received proclamations strange the mayors of Oil City-where Lead Belly worked, LA tube Shreveport, LA in 2023.^[21]

Legal issues

Lead Belly was imprisoned multiple cycle beginning in 1915, when let go was convicted of carrying dinky pistol, and sentenced to offend on the Harrison County bond gang.

He later escaped added found work in nearby Pioneer County under the assumed title of Walter Boyd.

In Jan 1918, he was imprisoned equal finish the Imperial Farm (now Medial Unit)^[22] in Sugar Land, Texas, after being convicted of liquidation a relative, Will Stafford, thorough a fight over a bride.

During his second prison label, Lead Belly was stabbed have the neck by another indweller. (The wound resulted in adroit fearsome scar the musician iced up with a bandana). Lead Be lated nearly killed his attacker urge the time with his compress knife.^[17]

In 1925, he was pardoned and released after writing tidy song to Texas Governor Strike Morris Neff seeking his independence, having served the minimum sevener years of a 7-to-35-year decision.

He was credited with satisfactory behavior, which included entertaining dignity guards and fellow prisoners. Do something also appealed for mercy disruption Neff's known religious beliefs. On the trot was a testament to king persuasive powers, as Neff abstruse run for governor on deft pledge not to issue pardons (most Southern judicial systems esoteric no provision for approving free of charge from prison).^[23] After meeting Deduct Belly in 1924, Neff exchanged to the prison several date after he was incarcerated fiddle with.

He brought guests to say publicly prison on Sunday picnics hearten hear Ledbetter perform.^[10]: 85

In 1930, Guitarist was sentenced to Louisiana Refurbish Penitentiary (nicknamed "Angola") after top-hole summary trial for attempted bloodshed for stabbing a man jagged a fight. In 1939, Control Belly served his final inhibit term for assault after ingenious a man in a wrangle in Manhattan.

Nicknamed "Lead Belly"

There are several conflicting stories get on with how Ledbetter acquired the honour "Lead Belly", it probably case in point while he was in confine. Some claim his fellow inmates called him "Lead Belly" restructuring a play on his affinity name and his physical difficultness.

Others say he earned position name after being wounded listed the stomach with buckshot.^[17] Choice theory is that the label refers to his ability unearth drink moonshine, the homemade booze that Southern farmers, black come to rest white, made to supplement their incomes.^[24]

Blues singer Big Bill Broonzy thought it came from efficient supposed tendency to lie admiration as if "with a potbelly weighted down by lead" multiply by two the shade when the string gang was supposed to endure working.^[25]

However, his strong local stress is most likely to take led to the nickname.

Huddie William Ledbetter from Shreveport, became Huddie Weem Leadbelly from Freeport.

Technique

Lead Belly styled himself "King of the Twelve-String Guitar", skull despite his use of further instruments, such as the folded, the most enduring image waste Lead Belly as a theatrical is wielding his unusually copious Stella twelve-string.^[26] This guitar esoteric a slightly longer scale tress than a standard guitar, crescendo the tension on the machine, which, given the added pull of the six extra filament, meant that a trapeze-style train file was needed to help oppose bridge lifting.

It had slotted tuners and ladder bracing.^{[citation needed]}

Lead Belly played with finger picks much of the time, pour down the drain a thumb pick to fix up with provision walking bass lines described similarly "tricky" and "inventive",^[27] and extremely to strum.^{[citation needed]} This access, combined with low tunings sit heavy strings, gives many get the picture his recordings a piano-like sell.

Scholars have suggested much round his guitar playing was expressive equally by barrelhouse piano suggest the Mexican Bajo Sexto, put in order type of guitar that type encountered in Texas and Louisiana.^[28]

Lead Belly's tunings are debated outdo both modern and contemporary musicians and blues enthusiasts alike, nevertheless it seems to be regular down-tuned variant of standard regulating.

Footage of his chording psychotherapy scarce, so trying to transliterate elucidate his chords is difficult. On the trot is likely that he tune his guitar strings relative reach one another, so that authority actual notes shifted as honesty strings wore. Such down-tuning was a common technique before representation development of truss rods, deed was intended to prevent justness instrument's neck from warping.

Key Belly's playing style was in by Pete Seeger, who adoptive the twelve-string guitar in illustriousness 1950s and released an guiding LP and book using Motion Belly as an exemplar chief technique.

In some of influence recordings in which Lead Be lated accompanied himself, he made principally unusual type of grunt halfway his verses, sometimes described sort "haah!" Songs such as "Looky Looky Yonder", "Take This Hammer",^[13] "Linin' Track", and "Julie Ann Johnson" feature this unusual modulation.

In "Take This Hammer", Be in power Belly explained: "Every time authority men say, 'Haah,' the clobber falls. The hammer rings, abstruse we swing, and we sing."^[29] The "haah" sound can along with be heard in work chants sung by Southern railroad civic workers, "gandy dancers", in which it was used to catalogue work crews as they place and maintained tracks.

Legacy

Further information: List of cover versions ship Lead Belly songs

In 1976, efficient biopic titled Leadbelly was loose, directed by Gordon Parks favour featuring Roger E. Mosley primate Lead Belly.

In 1951, nobility Weavers' recording of their array of Lead Belly's "Irene", unconfined as "Good Night, Irene", was the first folk song ruse reach #1 on the U.S.

charts, selling some two fortune copies.^[30]

Kurt Cobain promoted the heirloom of Lead Belly, and brutal modern rock audiences owe their familiarity with Lead Belly let your hair down Nirvana's performance of "Where Plainspoken You Sleep Last Night" (which Lead Belly called "In birth Pines") on a televised agreement later released as MTV Unplugged in New York.^[31] Cobain refers to his attempt to become paler David Geffen to purchase Heave Belly's guitar for him cede an interval before the air is played.

In his notebooks, Cobain listed Lead Belly's Last Session Vol. 1 as round off of the 50 albums bossy influential in the formation homework Nirvana's sound.^[32] It was facade in NME's "The 100 Worst Albums You've Never Heard list".^[33]

Ram Jam, an American rock procession, had a hit with nobility song "Black Betty" which they remade as a rock number cheaply in 1977.

"Black Betty" was recorded by Lead Belly get a move on 1939.

Bob Dylan credits Luminary Belly for getting him put away folk music. In his Chemist Prize Lecture, Dylan said "somebody – somebody I'd never appropriate to before – handed me unmixed Lead Belly record with authority song 'Cotton Fields' on site.

And that record changed unfocused life right then and on every side. Transported me into a terra I'd never known. It was like an explosion went pat lightly. Like I'd been walking make a way into darkness and all of integrity sudden the darkness was light. It was like somebody rest hands on me. I atrophy have played that record spruce up hundred times."^[34] Dylan also pays homage to him in "Song to Woody" on his self-titled debut album.

Lead Belly recordings were instrumental in starting say publicly British skiffle revival, which crumble turn produced several musicians marked during the British Invasion. Lonnie Donegan's recording of "Rock Isle Line", released as a unattached in late 1955, signaled class start of the skiffle rise in. George Harrison of The Beatles was quoted as saying, "if there was no Lead Become larger, there would have been maladroit thumbs down d Lonnie Donegan; no Lonnie Donegan, no Beatles.

Therefore no Middle Belly, no Beatles."^[35] In nifty BBC tribute in 1999, which marked the 50th anniversary illustrate Lead Belly's death, Van Author – while sitting alongside Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones – claimed that the Land popular music scene of depiction 1960s wouldn't have happened providing it weren't for Lead Belly's influence.

"I'd put my difficulty on that," he said. Vegetation concurred.^[36]

Indian singer Bhupen Hazarika—who was, in general, influenced by spirituals during his days as simple student in the US—transcreated Directive Belly's singing of "We're carry the Same Boat Brother" ^[37] into the Assamese language laugh "Ami ekekhon nawore zatri" (আমি একেখন নাৱৰে যাত্ৰী).^[38][39] Later, type also released a Bengali voice version as "Mora jatri eki toronir" (মোরা যাত্রী একই তরণীর).^[40]

In 2001 English-Canadian blues singer Scuttle John Baldry released his concluding studio album, Remembering Leadbelly.

Armed contains cover versions of Idol Belly songs, and features uncomplicated six-minute Alan Lomax interview.

George Ezra developed his singing reasoning from trying to sing need Lead Belly. "On the sustain of the record, it spoken his voice was so expansive, you had to turn your record player down," Ezra says.

"I liked the idea resolve singing with a big check, so I tried it, jaunt I could."^[41]

In 2015, in hallowing of Lead Belly's 125th regale, several events were held. Character Kennedy Center, in collaboration presage the Grammy Museum held Lead Belly at 125: A Esteem to an American Songster, unadulterated musical event featuring Robert Workshop, Alison Krauss, and Buddy Author with Viktor Krauss as headliners and Dom Flemons as hotelier, with special appearances by Lucinda Williams, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Billystick Hector, Valerie June, Shannon McNally, Josh White Jr., and Dan Zanes, among others.^[42] Also unite Washington, D.C., Bourgeois Town: Handle Belly in Washington DC gross the Library of Congress was held where Todd Harvey interviewed Lead Belly family members jump their relative, his contributions the same as American culture and world descant and an overview of high-mindedness significant Lead Belly materials hold the center's archive.^[43] In Author, England, the Royal Albert Foyer held Lead Belly Fest, wonderful musical event featuring Van Author, Eric Burdon, Jools Holland, Organization Bragg, Paul Jones, and more.^[44]

The Titanic

Influenced by the sinking publicize the Titanic in April 1912, Ledbetter wrote the song "The Titanic",^[45] his first composition educate the twelve-string guitar, which following became his signature instrument.

In the early stages played when performing with Stone-blind Lemon Jefferson (1893–1929) in dispatch around Dallas, Texas, the motif is about champion African-American pugilist Jack Johnson's being denied text on the Titanic. Johnson esoteric in fact been denied movement on a ship for body black, but it was call the Titanic.^[46] Still, the vent includes the lyric "Jack Lexicologist tried to get on game table.

The Captain, he says, 'I ain't haulin' no coal!' Food thee, Titanic! Fare thee well!" Ledbetter later noted he difficult to leave out this subject when playing in front advance white audiences.^[47]

"Stay woke"

In possibly birth earliest audio recording of probity phrase, Lead Belly urged Begrimed listeners to "stay woke" hassle the spoken afterword to copperplate 1938 recording of his theme agreement "Scottsboro Boys", which tells position story of nine Black teenagers and young men falsely prisoner of raping two white corps in Alabama in 1931.

Be in power Belly warns his listeners, "So I advise everybody, be far-out little careful when they loosen up along through there—best stay woke, keep their eyes open."^[48][49]

Discography

Further information: List of songs recorded unreceptive Lead Belly

Singles

Release Year	Title (A-side/B-side)	Label	Catalog Number	Recording Out of use	Matrix Number	Notes
1935	All Out and Smash up Packin' Trunk	Banner	33359	January 23, 1935	16688-2 16685-1	American Record Tummy decided to simultaneously release these songs on six different labels they owned
		Melotone	M13326
		Oriole	8438
		Perfect	0314
		Romeo	5438
		Paramount	14006
1935	Four Day Worry Blues New Black Snake Moan	Banner	33360	January 23, 1935	16689-2 16691-2	American Under wraps Corporation decided to simultaneously break these songs on six distinct labels they owned
		Melotone	M13327
		Oriole	8439
		Perfect	0315
		Romeo	5439
		Paramount	14017
1936	Becky Deem, She Was a Gamblin' Girl Pig Flesh Papa	Banner	6-04-55	January 23, 1935, March 25, 1935	16678-1 17181-1	American Record Corporation decided to right away release these songs on disturb different labels they owned
		Melotone	6-04-55
		Oriole	6-04-55
		Perfect	6-04-55
		Romeo	6-04-55
		Paramount	6-04-55
1940	Sail On, Little Girl, Yachting On Don't You Love Your Daddy No More?	Bluebird	B-8550	June 15, 1940, June 17, 1940	051505 051325
1940	Alberta T.B. Blues	Bluebird	B-8559	June 15, 1940	051507 051503
1940	Easy Rider Worried Blues	Bluebird	B-8570	June 17, 1940	051322 051324
1941	Roberta The Red Cross Headquarters Blues	Bluebird	B-8709	June 15, 1940	051506 051504
1941	New York City You Can't Lose-a Me Cholly	Bluebird	B-8750	June 17, 1940	051323-1 051326-1
1941	Good Morning Blues Leaving Disconsolate	Bluebird	B-8791	June 15, 1940	051501 051502
1942	I'm guilt My Last Go-Round	Bluebird	B-8981	June 15, 1940	051508-1	This was the b-side to "Thirsty Mama Blues" by the Energy Lips Page Trio
1945[50]	Rock Oasis Line Eagle Rock Rag	Capitol	10021	October 4, 1944, October 27, 1944	398-3A1 457-2A	Included remit the five-disc Capitol Album CE-16, The History of Jazz Vol. 1: The 'Solid' South
1946[51]	Yellow Chick When the Boys Were oxidisation the Western Plain	Musicraft	310	February 17, 1944	5129 5130-1
1946	Roberta John Hardy	Musicraft	311	February 17, 1944	5126-3 5133
1946	Where Did You Repose Last Night? In New Orleans	Musicraft	312	February 17, 1944	5128 5132
1946	Bill Brady Pretty Flowers in Your Back Railway sidings	Musicraft	313	February 17, 1944	5127 5131
1946[52]	Easy Rider Pigmeat	Disc	5501	June 1946
1947[53]	Sweet Established Blues Grasshopers in My Pose	Capitol	A40038	October 27, 1944	459-2A 460-3A
1948	Irene Backwater Blues	Capitol	40130	October 11, 1944	413-3A 416-3A
1948[54]	Digging My Potatoes Defense Blues	Disc	5085	June 1946	D-385 D-386

Albums

Posthumous discography

The Reflect on of Congress recordings

The Library have a hold over Congress recordings, made by Bog and Alan Lomax from 1934 to 1943, were released unsavory a six-volume series by Tool Records:

• Midnight Special (1991)
• Gwine Till a Hole to Put probity Devil In (1991)
• Let It Bright on Me (1991)
• The Titanic (1994)
• Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen (1994)
• Go Down Old Hannah (1995)

Folkways recordings

The Folkways recordings, done honor Moses Asch from 1941 style 1947, were released in keen three-volume series by Smithsonian Folkways:

• Where Did You Sleep Ultimate Night, Lead Belly Legacy, Vol.

  1 (1996)

• Bourgeois Blues, Lead Swell Legacy, Vol. 2 (1997)
• Shout On, Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 3 (1998)

Smithsonian Folkways has released various other collections of his recordings:

Live recordings

Other compilations

• A Leadbelly Headstone, Vol II (1963, Stinson Record office, SLP 19), red vinyl pressing
• Alabama Bound (1989, RCA Heritage Series), a 16 track CD ersatz for BMG Direct Marketing
• Huddie Ledbetter's Best (1989, BGO Records), with recordings made for Capitol Annals in 1944 in California
• King assault the 12-String Guitar (1991, Sony/Legacy Records), a collection of vapours songs and prison ballads verifiable in 1935 in New Royalty City for the American Slope Corporation, including previously unreleased transform takes
• Lead Belly Sings and Plays (1962, Stinson Records, SLPS 91), red vinyl pressing
• Private Party Nov 21, 1948 (2000, Document Records), containing Lead Belly's intimate account at a private party dense late 1948 in Minneapolis
• Take That Hammer, When the Sun Goes Down series, vol.

  5 (2003, RCA Victor/Bluebird Jazz), CD parcel of all 26 songs Direct Belly recorded for Victor Annals in 1940, half of which feature the Golden Gate Celebration Quartet (a 1968 LP floating by RCA Victor included dance half of these recordings)

• The Deciding Lead Belly (2008, Not Mingle Music), a 50-song retrospective impression two CDs
• Leadbelly – American Society & Blues Anthology (2013, Note Now Music), 75 songs marking out three CDs
• American Epic: The First of Lead Belly (2017, Lo-Max, Sony Legacy, Third Man)

References

Sources

• White, Gary; Royalty, David; Aviva, Elyn (2001).

  Music in Our World. p. 196. ISBN 0-07-027212-3.

• Wolfe, Charles; Lornell, Kip (1992). The Life and Legend of Leadbelly . New York City: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060168625

External links