HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Leadbelly

Birth of the Blues: Birthplace of the Blues

Leadbelly's Birthplace

About center of Caddo Parish County in red above

Lead Belly was a folk and gospel singer who specialized in 12-string guitar. Born in January of 1888 or 1889 in Mooringsport, Louisiana, about the center of Caddo Parish County, he composed 'The Titanic' in 1912 while performing with Blind Lemon Jefferson in the Dallas area. That was the year New Mexico and Arizona were admitted to the Union.

The first time Huddie William Ledbetter went to jail was in 1915 for carrying a pistol. He escaped from a chain gang, only to be confined again in 1918, this time for killing a relative in a fight over a woman. Released in 1925, he was incarcerated a third time in 1930 for knifing a white man in yet another fight.

Lead Belly made his first recordings on 16 July, 1933, at Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, for John and Alan Lomax in the employ of the Library of Congress. The University of London also has Lead Belly recording for the Lomax's and the LOC in 1933. A second set of Lomax recordings followed on 1 July of 1934. Lead Belly's early recordings with Lomax as of 1934 can be found on 'Selected Sides 1934-1948 Vol 1: Matchbox Blues 1934-1937'.

Lead Belly First recording session Part 1

16 July 1933 at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola Matrices 119-B-1 - 119-B-6

The Western Cowboy / Honey Take a Whiff on Me / Angola Blues / Angola Blues / Frankie and Albert

Lead Belly First recording session Part 2

16 July 1933 at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola Matrices 120-A-1 - 120-B-5

Irene / Take a Whiff on Me / You Can't Lose Me Cholly / Irene / Irene / Ella Speed

Lead Belly 'I'm Sorry Mama'

1 July 1934 at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola Matrix 126-B

Composition: Traditional

Following Lead Belly's release from incarceration in August of 1934 he held numerous Lomax sessions from September to March of 1935. During that period he also made his first commercial recordings during three sessions on January 23, 24 and 25 of 1935 for ARC (American Recording Company). The majority of 34 tracks went unissued excepting 'New Black Snake Moan', 'Four Day Worry Blues', 'Packin’ Trunk Blues', 'Honey, I’m All Out and Down' and and 'Becky Deem, She Was a Gamblin’ Girl'. The last was issued with 'Pig Meat Papa' in 1936, recorded in March 1935 the month after marrying Martha Promise in February. Martha would record vocals with Lead Belly in 1938 ('Outshine the Sun'), 1948 and 1949 ('Old Ship of Zion' and 'I Will Be So Glad When I Get Home').

Lead Belly w Martha Ledbetter in 1935

Source: Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Lead Belly 'Angola Blues'

20 Jan 1935 in Wilton, Connecticut Matrix 51-A

Composition: Ledbetter

Lead Belly 'New Black Snake Moan'

23 Jan 1935 in NYC Matrix 16691-2 Perfect 0315 B

Composition: From 'Black Snake Moan' by Blind Lemon Jefferson 1926

Lead Belly 'My Baby Quit Me'

25 March 1935 in NYC Matrix 17183-1

Composition: Ledbetter

Lead Belly 'Goodnight, Irene' Film

March or April 1935 in Wilton, Connecticut

Composition: From Gussie Lord Davis' 'Irene, Goodnight' of 1886

Additional Lomax recordings were made in June of 1937, December of 1938 and August of 1940. He recorded 'Black Betty', probably referring to either a prison whip or wagon, on 1 April 1939 in New York City. During that time he was jailed a fourth time for stabbing a man in a fight in Manhattan in 1939. Serving minimum time for good behavior, Lead Belly was released again in 1940. He had plenty of time to get in trouble again, as he didn't die until December 6, 1949, but playing for radio stations in New York City, camaraderie with other blues and folk musicians, and a brief tour in Europe apparently helped keep the peace.

Martha Ledbetter 'Outshine the Sun'

26 Dec 1938 in NYC Matrix 2502-A-2

Composition: Traditional

Lead Belly 'Black Betty'

1 April 1939 in NYC Matrix GM-503-M

Composition: Traditional

Lead Belly 'The Bourgeois Blues'

1 April 1939 in NYC Matrix GM-504-

Composition: Ledbetter June 1937

Lead Belly 'The Gallows Song'

23 August 1940 in Washington DC Matrix 4473-B-2

Composition: Traditional

Lead Belly 'Cottonfields'

Either Feb or autumn 1941 in NYC

Composition: Ledbetter 1940

Lead Belly 'Mr. Hitler'

20 Jan 1942 in NYC Matrix 6407-B-1

Composition: Ledbetter

Lead Belly made his last commercial recordings in 1944, though held future sessions which were his last in 1948 and 1949. His initial version of 'House of the Rising Sun' appeared in 1944 as 'In New Orleans'. He recorded it as 'House of the Rising Sun' in 1945 as well as multiple versions in 1948. Lead Belly held his last studio sessions in 1948, though went on to document final titles in 1949 at the WNYC Jazz Festival in New York City on 19 February 1949 and at the University of Texas on 15 June 1949. See 'Leadbelly' issued on Playboy Records PB 119. Wolfe and Lornell list a final session on 4 August of 1949 which Text Lambrecht, however, comments to be incorrect.

Lead Belly 'In New Orleans' ('House of the Rising Sun') Version 1

17 Feb 1944 in NYC Matrix 5132

Composition: Traditional

Lead Belly 'Rock Island Line' Paul Mason Howard at zither

Either 4 Oct or 6 Nov 1944 in Hollywood

Composition: Clarence Wilson 1929

Lead Belly 'Grasshopper In My Pillow'

27 Oct 1944 in Hollywood Matrix 460-36

Composition: Ledbetter

Lead Belly 'Grey Goose' Film 1946

Composition: Traditional

Lead Belly 'The Titanic'

Oct 1948 in NYC

See 'Leadbelly's Last Sessions' on Smithsonian Folkways SF CD 40068/71 / 1994

Composition: Ledbetter

Lead Belly 'House of the Rising Sun' Version 2

Oct 1948 [Wolfe/Lornell] or 5 Nov 1948 [Discogs] in NYC

See 'Leadbelly's Last Sessions' on Smithsonian Folkways SF CD 40068/71 / 1994

Composition: Traditional

Lead Belly Hogg Auditorium at the University of Texas

Final recordings on 15 June 1949 in Austin

Including 'Old Ship of Zion' and 'I Will Be So Glad When I Get Home' by Martha Ledbetter

See 'Leadbelly' on Playboy Records PB 119 / 1973

Per below, find an incomplete alphabetical list of traditionals documented by Ledbetter followed by a partial list of compositions of his own with the years that he first recorded them.

Traditionals:

   Blue Tail Fly 1948
   John Hardy 1940
   John Henry 1938
   Linin' Track (Can't You Line 'Em) 1940
   Midnight Special 1934
   Old Chisholm Trail (Western Cowboy) 1933
   Pick a Bale of Cotton 1935
   Stewball 1940

Compositions by Leadbelly:

   Alberta 1935
   Baby, You Don't Love Me No More 1935
   De Kalb Blues 1935
   Ham an' Eggs 1940
   Hollywood and Vine 1948
   I'm on My Last Go Round 1940
   Julianne Johnson 1940
   Leaving Blues 1940
   Mother's Blues (Little Children Blues) 1944
   My Baby Quit Me 1935
   National Defense Blues 1948
   New York City 1937
   Packin' Trunk Blues 1935
   Pig Meat Papa 1935
   Please Pardon Me 1925
   Pretty Flowers in My Back Yard 1944
   Roberta 1935
   The Scottsboro Boys 1938
   Take a Whiff on Me 1933
   Whoa Back Buck 1934