Leadbelly

  Huddie William Ledbetter. known as Leadbelly, was a American Folk and Blues artist. Born in 1888, He grew up in Texas where he participated in bands during his High School years. In 1917 Ledbetter was charged with murder and sentenced to a 20 year prison sentence, but was freed a couple years later by the Texas state Governor. After his legal troubles were in the rear-view mirror Ledbetter moved north to New York City where he worked with other famous musicians of the time such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. He had a couple of radio shows on which he sang his famous Folk tunes, He then moved to the West Coast where he recorded records under Capitol Records label. Tragically, Ledbetter was diagnosed with ALS in 1949, he died in New York on December 6th,1949, he was 61. He inspired many future musicians, the 1990's rock band Nirvana is known for their famous covering of his song  "Where did you sleep last night".

Ledbetter played the 12 string Guitar and Sang. He was well known for the songs: "Goodnight Irene"," Where Did You Sleep Last Night", and "The Bourgeois Blues."