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Odetta Holmes, (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music
American folk music

American folk music, also known as roots music, is a broad category of music including bluegrass music, country music, gospel music, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk music, blues, Cajun music and Native American music....
, blues
Blues

Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
, jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
, and spirituals
Spiritual (music)

Spirituals are songs which were created by African people History of slavery in the United States....
. An important figure in the American folk music revival
American folk music revival

The American folk music revival was a phenomenon in the United States in the 1950s to mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, of course, since traditional folk music has thousands of years of history, and performers like Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, and Cisco Houston had enjoyed a limited general popularity in decades prior to the 1950s....
 of the 1950s and 1960s, she was influential musically and ideologically to many of the key figures of the folk-revival of that time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez
Joan Baez

Joan Chandos Baez is a Mexican-United States folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. Many of her songs are Topical song and deal with social issues....
, Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples

Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer and civil rights activism who recorded with The Staple Singers, her family's band....
, and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin

Janis Lyn Joplin was an United States singer, songwriter, and music arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist....
.

ta was born in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in the United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama. It also includes part of Shelby County, Alabama....
, grew up in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. state of California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated as a beta global city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California....
, and studied music at Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College

Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, California section of Los Angeles, California....
 while employed as a domestic worker
Domestic worker

A domestic worker, domestic, servingman, servingwoman, or servant is one who works, and often also lives, within the employer's household....
.






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Odetta Holmes, (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music
American folk music

American folk music, also known as roots music, is a broad category of music including bluegrass music, country music, gospel music, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk music, blues, Cajun music and Native American music....
, blues
Blues

Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
, jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
, and spirituals
Spiritual (music)

Spirituals are songs which were created by African people History of slavery in the United States....
. An important figure in the American folk music revival
American folk music revival

The American folk music revival was a phenomenon in the United States in the 1950s to mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, of course, since traditional folk music has thousands of years of history, and performers like Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, and Cisco Houston had enjoyed a limited general popularity in decades prior to the 1950s....
 of the 1950s and 1960s, she was influential musically and ideologically to many of the key figures of the folk-revival of that time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez
Joan Baez

Joan Chandos Baez is a Mexican-United States folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. Many of her songs are Topical song and deal with social issues....
, Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples

Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer and civil rights activism who recorded with The Staple Singers, her family's band....
, and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin

Janis Lyn Joplin was an United States singer, songwriter, and music arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist....
.

Biography


Early life and career

Odetta was born in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in the United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama. It also includes part of Shelby County, Alabama....
, grew up in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. state of California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated as a beta global city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California....
, and studied music at Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College

Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, California section of Los Angeles, California....
 while employed as a domestic worker
Domestic worker

A domestic worker, domestic, servingman, servingwoman, or servant is one who works, and often also lives, within the employer's household....
. She had opera
Opera

Opera is an Performing arts in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work which combines a text and a musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition....
tic training from the age of 13. Her mother hoped she would follow Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson was an United States Contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. She possessed a rich and vibrant voice with an intrinsic quality of beauty....
, but Odetta doubted a large black girl would ever perform at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager and James Levine is music director....
. Her first professional experience was in musical theater in 1944, as an ensemble member for four years with the Hollywood Turnabout Puppet Theatre
Turnabout Theatre

The Turnabout Theatre existed in Hollywood, CA., from 1941 through 1956. Regularly selling out all seats--attracting both the general public as well as many of Hollywood's top stars--it offered entertainment that combined both puppets for the first half of a show and a stage revue for the second half....
, working alongside Elsa Lanchester
Elsa Lanchester

Elsa Sullivan Lanchester was an Academy Awards-nominated England character actor who became a naturalized American citizen in 1950 along with her husband, actor Charles Laughton....
; she later joined the national touring company of the musical Finian's Rainbow
Finian's Rainbow

Finian's Rainbow is a musical theatre with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane.A combination of whimsy, romance, and politics satire, the plot revolves around Finian McLonergan, who has emigrated from Ireland to the town of Rainbow Valley in the mythical state of Missitucky with his daughte...
 in 1949.

While on tour with Finian's Rainbow, Odetta "fell in with an enthusiastic group of young balladeers in San Francisco
San Francisco, California

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 799,183....
", and after 1950 concentrated on folksinging.

She made her name by playing around the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
: at the Blue Angel nightclub (New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
), the hungry i
Hungry i

The hungry i was a legendary San Francisco nightclub operated in the mid-1950s and early 1960s by Enrico Banducci at 599 Jackson Street in the North Beach, San Francisco, California district....
 (San Francisco), and Tin Angel (San Francisco), where she and Larry Mohr recorded Odetta and Larry
The Tin Angel

The Tin Angel is now the common name for Odetta & Larry's only album, a collection of all their recordings, originally released in 1954 as "Odetta And Larry"....
 in 1954, for Fantasy Records
Fantasy Records

Fantasy Records is a United States based record label, which was founded by Max and Sol Weiss in 1949 in San Francisco, California. They had previously operated a record pressing plant called Circle Record Company before forming the Fantasy label....
.

A solo career followed, with Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues
Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues

Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues is the debut solo album by United States folk music Odetta, first released in 1956.Like much of Odetta's early work, Ballads and Blues combines folk music songs with blues covers....
 (1956) and At the Gate of Horn
At the Gate of Horn

At the Gate of Horn is the second solo album by United States folk music Odetta, first released in 1957. It was named for the Gate of Horn club in Chicago....
 (1957). Odetta Sings Folk Songs
Odetta Sings Folk Songs

Odetta Sings Folk Songs is an album by United States folk music Odetta, first released in 1963. It was her second release on her new label, RCA Victor and is out of print....
 was one of 1963's best-selling folk albums.

In 1961, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an United States pastor, activist and prominent leader in the African-American African-American Civil Rights Movement ....
 anointed her "The Queen of American folk music". In the same year the duo Harry Belafonte and Odetta made #32 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
 with the song There's a Hole in My Bucket
There's a Hole in My Bucket

"There's a Hole in My Bucket" is a children's song, along the same lines as "Found a Peanut". A popular version of the song was recorded by Harry Belafonte and Odetta....
. Many Americans remember her performance at the 1963 civil rights movement's march to Washington where she sang "O Freedom." She considered her involvement in the Civil Rights movement as being "one of the privates in a very big army."

Broadening her musical scope, Odetta used band
Band (music)

In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:...
 arrangement
Arrangement

In music, an arrangement is either a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet....
s on several albums rather than playing alone, and released music of a more "jazz" style music on albums like Odetta and the Blues
Odetta and the Blues

Odetta and The Blues is an album by folk music singer Odetta, released in 1962.Recorded as the 1950s/1960s American folk music revival was getting underway, the album is notable for Odetta's use of a jazz band on the record....
 (1962) and Odetta
Odetta (Folkways album)

Odetta is the 1967 album by Odetta. It is viewed as one of her most "commercial" , but it has not subsequently been re-released on Compact disc as many of her albums were....
 (1967). She gave a remarkable performance in 1968 at the Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie

Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an United States singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, Traditional music and children's songs, ballads and improvised works....
 memorial concert and was interviewed by Milton Okun
Milt Okun

Milt Okun is an United States arranger and record producer best known as a member of The Belafonte Folk Singers with Harry Belafonte.Okun also recorded several albums of his own in the 1960s....
 for his compilation of songs Something to Sing About! (New York: Macmillan Co.)

Odetta also acted in several films during this period, including Cinerama Holiday (1955
1955 in film

The year 1955 in film involved some significant events....
), the film of William Faulkner
William Faulkner

William Faulkner was a Nobel Prize in Literature-winning United States author. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, his reputation is based on his novels, novellas and short story....
's Sanctuary
Sanctuary (novel)

Sanctuary is a novel by the American author William Faulkner. It is considered one of his more controversial, given its theme of rape. First published in 1931, it was Faulkner's commercial and critical breakthrough, establishing his literary reputation....
 (1961
1961 in film

The year 1961 in film involved some significant events....
) and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a 1971 novel by Ernest J. Gaines, whose narrator, an African American woman named Jane Pittman, tells about her life, leading up to her joining in the African-American Civil Rights Movement in 1962 at age 110....
 (1974
1974 in film

The year 1974 in film involved some significant events....
).

Her marriages to Dan Gordon and Gary Shead ended in divorce. Singer-guitarist Louisiana Red
Louisiana Red

Louisiana Red is a blues guitarist, harmonica player, and singer, who has recorded more than 50 albums. He is best known for his song "Sweet Blood Call"....
 was a former companion.

Later career

In May of 1975 she appeared on public television's Say Brother
Basic Black

Basic Black is an Emmy Award-winning weekly television series airing on WGBH-TV in Boston. Originally known as Say Brother, the show was created in 1968 and aims to reflect the concerns and culture of African Americans through short-form documentaries, performances, and one-on-one conversations....
 program, performing "Give Me Your Hand" in the studio, in addition to speaking about her spirituality, the music tradition from which she drew, and her involvement in civil rights struggles.

In 1976, Odetta performed in the U.S. Bicentennial opera "Be Glad Then America" by John LaMontaigne, as the Muse for America; with Donald Gramm, Richard Lewis and the Penn State University Choir and the Pittsburgh Symphony. The production was directed by Sarah Caldwell who was the director of the Opera Company of Boston at the time.

Odetta released only two new albums in the 20-year period from 1977-1997: Movin' It On
Movin' It On

Movin' It On is a live album by American folk music folk music singer Odetta, released in 1987. It is a recording of a concert at The Wisconsin Union Theatre, Madison, Wisconsin and is her first release in 12 years....
, in 1987 and a new version of Christmas Spirituals
Christmas Spirituals

Christmas Spirituals is the name of two albums recorded by United States folk music Odetta. The first was released in 1960 on Vanguard Records and is available to this day....
, produced by Rachel Faro, in 1988.

Beginning in 1998, she re-focused her energies on recording and touring and her career took on a major resurgence. The new CD To Ella
To Ella

To Ella is an album by American folk music singer Odetta, released 1998 on Silverwolf Records. Recorded live at the Kerrville Folk Festival, it features traditional songs including "Amazing Grace" and a 27-minute "Ancestors Suite" containing several songs....
 (recorded live and dedicated to her old friend Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as "Jazz royalty" and the "First Lady of Song", is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century....
 upon hearing of her passing before walking on stage), was released in 1998 on Silverwolf Records, followed by three new releases on M.C. Records, which cemented a partnership with pianist/arranger/producer Seth Farber and record producer Mark Carpentieri, including: Blues Everywhere I Go
Blues Everywhere I Go

Blues Everywhere I Go is an album by United States folk music Odetta, released in 1999. It was her first new release in over a decade.Allmusic said in their review: "... time doesn't appear to have affected her interpretive skills or the range and quality of her voice, which remains one of the most remarkable instruments in America...
, a 2000 Grammy Nominated blues/jazz band tribute album to the great lady blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s; Looking for a Home
Looking for a Home

is a short film shown only in the Saturn Theater at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. Debuting in January 2006, it is 12 minutes long....
, a 2002 W.C. Handy Award nominated band tribute to Lead Belly; and the 2007 Grammy Nominated Gonna Let It Shine
Gonna Let It Shine

Gonna Let It Shine: A Concert for the Holidays , is a live album by United States folk music Odetta, released in 2005. It was recorded at Fordham University in New York City for a public radio broadcast....
, a live album of gospel and spiritual songs supported by Seth Farber and The Holmes Brothers. These new recordings and an active world touring schedule created the demand for her guest star appearance on fourteen new albums of other artists (between 1999 and 2006), and the re-release of forty-five old Odetta albums and compilation appearances.

On September 29, 1999, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the fifteenth Democrat elected to that office....
 presented Odetta with the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is a United States federally funded and donation assisted program that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence....
' National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts

The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the Congress of the United States in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts....
. In 2004, Odetta was honored at the Kennedy Center with the "Visionary Award" along with a tribute performance by Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman is an United States singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason", "New Beginning " and "Telling Stories"....
. In 2005, the Library of Congress
Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....
 honored her with its "Living Legend Award".

The 2005
2005 in film

The year 2005 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,The Devil's Rejects, Saw II, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, ''The Ring Two, ''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, ''xXx: State of the Union, ''Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous...
 documentary film No Direction Home
No Direction Home

No Direction Home is a documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th century American popular music and culture....
, directed by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese

Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese is an Academy Award-winning American filmmaker, screenwriter, film producer, and film historian. Also affectionately known as "Marty", he is the founder of the World Cinema Foundation and a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema and has won awards from the Gol...
, highlights her musical influence on Bob Dylan, the subject of the documentary. The film contains an archive clip of Odetta performing "Waterboy" on TV in 1959, and we also hear Odetta's songs "Mule Skinner Blues
Mule Skinner Blues

"Blue Yodel #8" is a classic Country music song written by Jimmie Rodgers and first recorded by him in 1930 It has been recorded by many artists since then, acquiring the de facto title "Mule Skinner Blues" after Rodgers named it "Blue Yodel #8" Some versions list "George Vaughn" as a co-author; the name is a pseudonym for Vaughn Horto...
" and "No More Auction Block for Me".

In 2006, Odetta opened shows for jazz vocalist Madeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux

Madeleine Peyroux is an United States jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday....
, and in 2006 she toured the US
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, and Europe accompanied by her pianist, which included being presented by the US Embassy in Latvia
Latvia

Latvia The Latvians are a Baltic peoples culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language having many similarities with Lithuanian language, but not with the Estonian language....
 as the keynote speaker at a Human Rights conference, and also in a concert in Riga
Riga

Riga the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava River. Riga is the largest city in the Baltic states....
's historic 1,000 year old Maza Guild Hall. In December, 2006, the Winnipeg Folk Festival
Winnipeg Folk Festival

The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a summer folk music festival held in Birds Hill Provincial Park, near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. It features a variety of folk artists from all around the world, as well as a number of local folk performers....
 honored Odetta with their "Lifetime Achievement Award." In February, 2007, The International Folk Alliance awarded Odetta as "Traditional Folk Artist of the Year."

On March 24, 2007 a tribute concert to Odetta was presented at the Rachel Schlesinger Theatre by the World Folk Music Association with live performance and video tributes by Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger

Peter "Pete" Seeger is an United States folk singer, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 50s as a member of The Weavers, most notably the 1950 recording of Leadbelly's "Goodnight, Irene" that topped the charts f...
, Madeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux

Madeleine Peyroux is an United States jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday....
, Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte

Harold George Belafonte, Jr. is a Jamaican American musician, actor and social activist. One of the most successful popular singers in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso music" a title which he was very reluctant to accept for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s....
, Janis Ian
Janis Ian

Janis Ian is a Grammy Award-winning United States songwriter, singer, multi-instrumental musician, columnist, and science fiction science fiction fandom-turned-author....
, Sweet Honey in the Rock
Sweet Honey in the Rock

Sweet Honey in the Rock is an internationally renowned all-women band, African American a cappella ensemble that has risen to fame for the ingenuity and talent of the women who work to blend their voices together in song....
, Josh White
Josh White

Joshua Daniel White , best known as Josh White, was a legendary United States of America singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and civil rights activist....
, Jr., () Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary

Peter, Paul and Mary are a musical group from the United States who were one of the most successful folk song groups of the 1960s. The trio is composed of Peter Yarrow, Noel Stookey and Mary Travers ....
, Oscar Brand
Oscar Brand

Oscar Brand...
, Tom Rush
Tom Rush

Tom Rush is a noted folk music and blues music singer, songwriter and recording artist....
, Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester

Jesse Winchester is the stage name of musician James Ridout Winchester Winchester was raised in northern Mississippi and the city of Memphis, Tennessee....
, Eric Andersen
Eric Andersen

Eric Andersen is an United States singer-songwriter....
, Wavy Gravy
Wavy Gravy

Wavy Gravy is a life-long activist for peace and personal empowerment, best known for his hippie appearance, personality, and beliefs. His moniker was given to him by B.B....
, David Amram
David Amram

David Amram is an United States composer, musician, Conducting, and writer. As a classical composer and virtuoso performer, his integration of jazz , ethnic and folk music has led him to work with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Willie Nelson, Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein, Sir James Galway, Arthur Miller and Jack Kerouac...
, Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn

James Roger McGuinn is an United States singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' hit records....
, Robert Sims, Carolyn Hester
Carolyn Hester

Carolyn Hester is an United States folk singer and songwriter. She was an important figure of the early '60s folk music revival.Hester's first album was produced by Norman Petty in 1957....
, Donal Leace, Marie Knight, Side by Side
Side By Side (band)

Side By Side was an American hardcore punk band on Revelation Records. They were a band from NY of youth crew persuasion. Recorded output was limited to a single 7", You're Only Young Once... Their 7" was the fifth record released by Revelation Records....
, and Laura McGhee (from Scotland).

In 2007, her album Gonna Let It Shine was nominated for a Grammy, and she completed a major Fall Concert Tour in the "Songs of Spirit" show, which included artists from all over the world. She toured around North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
 in late 2006 and early 2007 to support this CD.

Final tour

On January 21, 2008, Odetta was the Keynote Speaker at San Diego's Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration, followed by concert performances in San Diego, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the only such section on the west coast, between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the sea, and having a Mediterranean climate, it is called California's "South Coast", and is also sometimes referred to...
, Santa Monica, and Mill Valley, in addition to being the sole guest for the evening on PBS-TV's The Tavis Smiley Show
The Tavis Smiley Show

The Tavis Smiley Show is the name of a radio program that has seen several incarnations as an United States Talk radio. A television show, simply titled Tavis Smiley, is a late night program on PBS....
.

On May 2 and 3, 2008, Odetta headlined the Oberlin College Folk Fest in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland, Ohio. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music College or university school of music with approximately 3,000 students....
, where she spoke about her life at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse and gave a concert in Finney Chapel.

Odetta was honored on May 8th, 2008 at hosted by Wavy Gravy
Wavy Gravy

Wavy Gravy is a life-long activist for peace and personal empowerment, best known for his hippie appearance, personality, and beliefs. His moniker was given to him by B.B....
. Fellow musicians David Amram
David Amram

David Amram is an United States composer, musician, Conducting, and writer. As a classical composer and virtuoso performer, his integration of jazz , ethnic and folk music has led him to work with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Willie Nelson, Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein, Sir James Galway, Arthur Miller and Jack Kerouac...
, , Vincent Cross, and Christine Lavin
Christine Lavin

Christine Lavin is a New York City-based singer, songwriter, and promoter of contemporary folk music. She has recorded numerous solo albums, and has also recorded with other female folk artists under the name Four Bitchin' Babes....
 performed; filmmakers D. A. Pennebaker
D. A. Pennebaker

Donn Alan "D. A." Pennebaker is an United States documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema/Cin?ma v?rit?. Performing arts and politics are his primary subjects....
 and Chris Hegedus attended the concert, held at Banjo Jim's in the .

In summer 2008, at the age of 77, she launched another North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n tour, with concerts in Albany, New York
Albany, New York

Albany is the Capital of the state of New York and the county seat of Albany County, New York. Albany is roughly 136 miles north of the city of New York City, and slightly south of the confluence of the Mohawk River and Hudson Rivers....
 and other cities, singing strongly and confidently from a wheelchair
Wheelchair

A wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. The device is propelled either manually or via various automated systems. Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness , injury, or disability....
. Her set in recent years included "This Little Light of Mine
This Little Light of Mine

"This Little Light of Mine" is a Gospel music children's song written by Harry Dixon Loes in about 1920. Loes, who studied at the Moody Bible Institute and the American Conservatory of Music, was a musical composer, and teacher, who wrote, and co-wrote, several other gospel songs....
 (I'm Gonna Let It Shine)", Lead Belly's "The Bourgeois Blues
The Bourgeois Blues

"The Bourgeois Blues" is a blues song by Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. It was written after Lead Belly went to Washington, D.C. at the request of Alan Lomax, to record a number of songs for the Library of Congress....
", (Something Inside) So Strong
(Something Inside) So Strong

So Strong is a song written and recorded by United Kingdom singer-songwriter, Labi Siffre. It was released as a single in 1987 and was the song that brought him back to mainstream popularity in his home country....
", "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" is a traditional Spiritual . The song dates back to the era of slavery in the United States when it was common practice to sell children of slaves away from their parents....
" and "House of the Rising Sun".

She made a special appearance on June 30th, 2008 at The Bitter End
The Bitter End

File:Beast 0114.jpgThe Bitter End is a nightclub in New York City's Greenwich Village. It opened its doors in 1961 at Bleecker Street under the auspices of original owner Fred Weintraub....
 on Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street

Bleecker Street is a famous street in New York City's Manhattan borough. It is perhaps most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightclub district....
, New York City for a Liam Clancy
Liam Clancy

William 'Liam' Clancy is an Ireland folk singer. With his brothers Tom Clancy , and Patrick Clancy, as well as Tommy Makem, he was part of the popular group The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem....
 tribute concert. She opened the show with Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child, and finished the first set with a duet with Clancy where they sang Blowin' in the Wind
Blowin' in the Wind

"Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Although it has been described as a protest song, it poses a series of philosophy questions about peace, war, and Freedom without supplying concrete answers....
. Her strong voice was very much in evidence during her last solo piece, Something Inside So Strong. The finale saw her onstage with Clancy, Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton

Thomas Richard Paxton is an United States folk music singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years....
, Shane MacGowan
Shane MacGowan

Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish people musician and singer best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues. His voice has been described by Jools Holland as a voice that touches the heart and soul....
, amongst others.

Her last "big concert," before thousands of people, was in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of 1017 acres of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 174 acres larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared....
 on October 4, 2008, for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. She last performed at Hugh's Room
Hugh's Room

Hugh's Room is a restaurant and folk music venue in Toronto, Ontario. Located on Dundas Street in the city's Roncesvalles, Toronto neighbourhood, the club was opened in 2001 by Richard Carson and named in memory of his brother Hugh, a former folk musician who had dreamed of opening his own performance venue before his death of cancer in 1999...
 in Toronto
Toronto

Toronto is the List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population in Canada and the Provinces and territories of Canada Provincial and territorial capitals of Canada of Ontario....
 on October 25.

In November 2008, Odetta's health began to decline and she began receiving treatment at Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital

File:WSTM Headcases 0148.jpgLenox Hill Hospital, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, is a 652-bed, acute care hospital and a major teaching affiliate of New York University Medical Center....
 in New York. She had hoped to perform at Barack Obama
Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the List of Presidents of the United States and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office....
's inauguration on January 20, 2009

On December 2, 2008, Odetta died from heart disease in New York City.

At her memorial service in February 2009 at Riverside Church in New York City, participants included Maya Angelou, Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger

Peter "Pete" Seeger is an United States folk singer, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 50s as a member of The Weavers, most notably the 1950 recording of Leadbelly's "Goodnight, Irene" that topped the charts f...
, Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte

Harold George Belafonte, Jr. is a Jamaican American musician, actor and social activist. One of the most successful popular singers in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso music" a title which he was very reluctant to accept for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s....
, Geoffrey Holder
Geoffrey Holder

Geoffrey Holder is a Trinidad and Tobago actor, choreographer, dancer, Painting, costume designer, singer and voice artist....
, Steve Earle
Steve Earle

Stephen 'Steve' Fain Earle is an United States singer-songwriter, well known for his rock music and country music, as well as his political views....
, Sweet Honey in the Rock
Sweet Honey in the Rock

Sweet Honey in the Rock is an internationally renowned all-women band, African American a cappella ensemble that has risen to fame for the ingenuity and talent of the women who work to blend their voices together in song....
, Peter Yarrow
Peter Yarrow

Peter Yarrow is an United States singer who found fame with the 1960s folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Yarrow co-wrote the group's most famous song, "Puff, the Magic Dragon." He is also a political activism, lending his support to causes ranging from opposition to the Vietnam war to the creation of Operation Respect....
, Tom Chapin
Tom Chapin

Tom Chapin is a Grammy-winning American musician, entertainer, singer-songwriter and storyteller. He is known for his children's music, intended for the age group that is too old for Sesame Street but too young for pop music....
, Josh White, Jr. (son of Josh White
Josh White

Joshua Daniel White , best known as Josh White, was a legendary United States of America singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and civil rights activist....
), Emory Joseph, Rattlesnake Annie
Rattlesnake Annie

Annie McGowan is a country music and songwriter under the stage name Rattlesnake Annie. She earned her nickname as a child from her respect of snakes....
, and videotaped tributes from Tavis Smiley
Tavis Smiley

Tavis Smiley is an African American author, journalist, political commentator, and talk show host....
 and Joan Baez
Joan Baez

Joan Chandos Baez is a Mexican-United States folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. Many of her songs are Topical song and deal with social issues....
.

Influence


Odetta influenced generations of performers, from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has recorded and toured with the E Street Band....
.

  • Harry Belafonte
    Harry Belafonte

    Harold George Belafonte, Jr. is a Jamaican American musician, actor and social activist. One of the most successful popular singers in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso music" a title which he was very reluctant to accept for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s....
     "cited her as a key influence" on his musical career.


  • Bob Dylan, who said, "The first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta. I heard a record of hers [Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues
    Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues

    Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues is the debut solo album by United States folk music Odetta, first released in 1956.Like much of Odetta's early work, Ballads and Blues combines folk music songs with blues covers....
    ] in a record store, back when you could listen to records right there in the store. Right then and there, I went out and traded my electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustical guitar, a flat-top Gibson
    Gibson Guitar Corporation

    The Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a manufacturer of Steel-string guitar and electric guitars. Gibson also owns and makes guitars under such brands as Epiphone, Kramer Guitars, Valley Arts Guitar, Tobias , Steinberger, and Gibson Kalamazoo Electric Guitar....
    . ... [That album was] just something vital and personal. I learned all the songs on that record. It was her first and the songs were:- Mule Skinner
    Mule Skinner Blues

    "Blue Yodel #8" is a classic Country music song written by Jimmie Rodgers and first recorded by him in 1930 It has been recorded by many artists since then, acquiring the de facto title "Mule Skinner Blues" after Rodgers named it "Blue Yodel #8" Some versions list "George Vaughn" as a co-author; the name is a pseudonym for Vaughn Horto...
    , Waterboy", Jack of Diamonds
    Jack of Diamonds (song)

    Jack of Diamonds is a traditional folk music song....
    ,     (I've Been) 'Buked and (I've Been) Scorned."
    In 1965, Odetta recorded an album of Dylan covers,     Odetta Sings Dylan
    Odetta Sings Dylan

    Odetta Sings Dylan is the 1965 in music album by American folk music folk music singer Odetta, an entire album of Cover version of Bob Dylan songs....
    .


  • Joan Baez
    Joan Baez

    Joan Chandos Baez is a Mexican-United States folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. Many of her songs are Topical song and deal with social issues....
     said "Odetta was a goddess. Her passion moved me. I learned everything she sang."


  • Janis Joplin
    Janis Joplin

    Janis Lyn Joplin was an United States singer, songwriter, and music arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist....
     - "Janis spent much of her adolescence listening to Odetta, who was also the first person Janis imitated when she started singing".


  • Thomas Winslow and his daughter Thomasina Winslow
    Thomasina Winslow

    'Thomasina Winslow' is an United States Blues musician from the Albany, New York area, and the daughter of folk musician Tom Winslow. As a toddler, she sang back-up on her father's folk music classic Hey Looka Yonder ; also singing a solo version of One-Two-Three, another version of which she produced on her own 30 years later....
    , the Blues
    Blues

    Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
     musicians, heralded her influence to their music.


  • Poet Maya Angelou once said "If only one could be sure that every 50 years a voice and a soul like Odetta's would come along, the centuries would pass so quickly and painlessly we would hardly recognize time."


  • John Waters
    John Waters (filmmaker)

    John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an United States Film director, actor, writer, celebrity, visual artist and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive art cult films....
    's original screenplay
    Screenplay

    A screenplay or script is a written work especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing works....
     for     Hairspray mentions her as an influence on beatnik
    Beatnik

    Beatniks were part of a sociocultural movement in the 1950s and early 1960s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle in the wake of WWII....
    s.


  • Carly Simon
    Carly Simon

    Carly Elisabeth Simon is an United States singer-songwriter, actress, writer of children's books and musician. Simon has risen to fame with Hit single that have nominated or won many Grammy Awards for her over a period of several decades....
     cites Odetta as a major influence, and talks about "going weak in the knees" when she had the opportunity to meet her in Greenwich Village


Discography


Filmography

Film/programme title Info Year
Cinerama Holiday Film 1955
Lamp Onto My Feet TV 1956
Tonight with Belafonte
Harry Belafonte

Harold George Belafonte, Jr. is a Jamaican American musician, actor and social activist. One of the most successful popular singers in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso music" a title which he was very reluctant to accept for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s....
 		TV/Musical Variety (Emmy Award
Emmy Award

The Emmy Award, also known as the 'Emmy', is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards....
) 		1959
Toast of the Town
The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show is an United States television program variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
 		TV 1960
Sanctuary
Sanctuary (novel)

Sanctuary is a novel by the American author William Faulkner. It is considered one of his more controversial, given its theme of rape. First published in 1931, it was Faulkner's commercial and critical breakthrough, establishing his literary reputation....
 		Drama
Drama film

A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth characterization of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenome...
  		1961
Have Gun – Will Travel
episode 159/226: "The Hanging of Aaron Gibbs" 		TV drama 1961
Les Crane
Les Crane

Les Crane was a radio announcer and television talk show host, a pioneer in interactive broadcasting who also scored an unexpected spoken word hit parade with his 1971 recording of the poem Desiderata, winning a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy for his efforts....
 Show 		TV/Talk/Variety 1965
Festival
Festival (1967 film)

Festival! is a 1967 in film documentary film about the Newport Folk Festival, directed by Murray Lerner.Filmed over the course of three music festival at Newport, Rhode Island , the film features performances by Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, Odetta, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Mississippi John Hurt, Son House,...
 		documentary film
Documentary film

Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and new media productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a televis...
  		1967
Live from the Bitter End TV - Concert 1967
Clown Town
starring Odetta & Bobby Vinton 		NBC Music Special 1968
The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show

'The Dick Cavett Show' has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including:* American Broadcasting Company daytime ...
 		TV/Talk/Variety 1969
The Johnny Cash Show
The Johnny Cash Show (TV series)

The Johnny Cash Show was an United States television music variety show presented by Johnny Cash. The 58-episode series ran from June 7, 1969 to March 31, 1971 on American Broadcasting Company....
 		 TV/Musical Variety 1969
The Virginia Graham
Virginia Graham

Virginia Graham born Virginia Komiss, was a daytime television talk show host from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. On television, Graham hosted the broadcast syndication programs Food for Thought , Girl Talk and The Virginia Graham Show , and appeared on many other programs....
 Show 		TV 1971
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a 1971 novel by Ernest J. Gaines, whose narrator, an African American woman named Jane Pittman, tells about her life, leading up to her joining in the African-American Civil Rights Movement in 1962 at age 110....
 		TV film
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
 		 1974
Soundstage: Just Folks
with Odetta, Tom Paxton, Josh White, Jr. and Bob Gibson 		TV - Concert Special 1980
Ramblin': with Odetta TV - Concert Special 1981
Chords of Fame doc.
Documentary film

Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and new media productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a televis...
  		1984
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by Macy's Department store. The three-hour event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m....
 		 1989
Boston Pops
with Odetta, Shirley Verrett and Boys Choir of Harlem 		TV - Concert 1991
Tommy Makem
Tommy Makem

Thomas 'Tommy' Makem was an internationally celebrated Ireland folk music musician, artist, poet and storyteller, best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem....
 & Friends 		TV - Concert 1992
The Fire Next Time TV film
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
  		1993
Turnabout
The Story of the Yale Puppeteers 		doc.
Documentary film

Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and new media productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a televis...
  		1993
Odetta: Woman In (E)motion German TV
German television

As the world's fourth largest economy and with the largest population in the European Union, Germany today offers a vast diversity of television stations....
 - Concert Special 		1995
Peter, Paul and Mary: Lifelines TV 1996
National Medal of Arts and Humanities
National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is a United States federally funded and donation assisted program that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence....
 Presentations 		C-Span
C-SPAN

C-SPAN is an United States cable television Television network dedicated to airing non-stop coverage of government proceedings and public affairs programming....
 TV 		1999
The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack Drama
Drama film

A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth characterization of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenome...
  		2000
21st Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards Awards ceremony 2000
Songs for a Better World TV - Concert Special 2000
Later... with Jools Holland
with Odetta, and Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman is the former bass guitarist for the England rock and roll band The Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings....
 & His Rhythm Kings
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings are a Blues-rock band founded and led by former Rolling Stones Bill Wyman. They are best known for their live performances, as they tour frequently both through Europe and the United States....
 		BBC-TV 2001
Politically Incorrect
Politically incorrect

The phrase "politically incorrect" may refer to:* Someone or something which does not meet a standard of political correctness* Politically Incorrect, the late-night U.S....
 with Bill Maher
Bill Maher

William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an United States stand-up comedian, television host, pundit , and author. Before his present role as host of HBO Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late night television talk show called Politically Incorrect on Comedy Central and later on American Broadcasting Company....
 		TV Talk Show 2001
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman

Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 in television and went off the air in 1993 in television, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show with David Letterman on CBS....
 		TV/Talk/Variety Show 2001
Pure Oxygen TV - Talk Show 2002
Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival

The Newport Folk Festival is an Music of the United States annual folk music-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959....
 		 TV - Concert Special 2002
Janis Joplin: Pieces of My Heart BBC-TV Biography Special 2002
Get Up, Stand Up:
The Story of Pop and Protest
Get Up, Stand Up: The Story of Pop and Protest

Get Up, Stand Up: The Story of Pop and Protest is a 2003 made-for-television 6-part documentary film directed by Rudi Dolezal, Hannes Rossacher and Simon Witter....
 		doc.
Documentary film

Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and new media productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a televis...
  		2003
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford

Tennessee Ernie Ford an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the Country music, Pop music and Gospel music musical genres....
 Show 		TV Musical Variety (Re-Broadcast) 2003
Ralph Bunch: An American Odyssey PBS-TV Biography 2003
Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin PBS-TV Biography 2003
Visionary Awards Presentation PBS-TV Award Presentation 2004
Lightning in a Bottle - Salute to the Blues doc.
Documentary film

Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and new media productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a televis...
  		2004
No Direction Home
No Direction Home

No Direction Home is a documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th century American popular music and culture....
 		doc.
Documentary film

Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and new media productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a televis...
 		 2005
Talking Bob Dylan Blues BBC-TV Concert Special 2005
Odetta: Blues Diva PBS-TV Concert Special 2005
Odetta: Viss Notiek Latvian TV Weekly Journal 2006
A Tribute to the Teachers of America PBS-TV Special: Concert at The Town Hall
The Town Hall

The Town Hall is a performance space located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway , in New York City, New York. It seats 1,500 people....
, New York
Odetta sings a children’s song medley of "Rock Island Line
Rock Island Line (song)

"Rock Island Line" is an United States blues/folk music song performed and first recorded by Lead Belly in the 1930s. Versions have been recorded by other artists....
/Here We Go Looptie-Lou/Bring Me Little Water Sylvie" 		2007
The Tavis Smiley Show
The Tavis Smiley Show

The Tavis Smiley Show is the name of a radio program that has seen several incarnations as an United States Talk radio. A television show, simply titled Tavis Smiley, is a late night program on PBS....
 		PBS-TV Discussion and performance of the song "Keep on Movin' It On" 25 Jan 2008
Mountain Stage HD: John Hammond, Odetta, and Jorma Kaukonen PBS-TV Concert Special 2008
Odetta Remembers BBC Four
BBC Four

BBC Four is a BBC television channel available to digital television viewers in the UK. The part successor to BBC Knowledge, it launched on 2 March 2002....
 interview and concert footage, 30 mins 		6 Feb 2009


External links

  • at The National Visionary Leadership Project
  • in The New York Times
    The New York Times

    The New York Times is an American daily newspaper published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"?named for its staid appearance and style?is regarded as a national newspaper of record....
  • at NPR Music
    NPR Music

    NPR Music launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music discovery. The Web site is a project of National Public Radio, a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national Radio syndication to 797 public radio List of NPR stations in...
  • video from the WGBH Archives