American folk-blues artist Huddie William Ledbetter, also known by the stage names Belly or Lead Belly, was born on January 21, 1885, on Jeter Plantation, close to Mooringsport, Louisiana, and passed away on December 6, 1949, in New York, New York. He was Wesley and Sally Ledbetter’s only child. Lead Belly first tried his hand at music when he was just two years old, and after being exposed to the guitar by his uncle Terrell Ledbetter, he eventually developed a liking for it. He developed quickly on the accordion, mandolin, and piano in addition to the guitar, which provided him a broad awareness of diverse musical instruments and rhythms. It has been said that one day Lead Belly witnessed a Mexican guitarist playing the twelve string guitar which struck his interest in mastering the unusual instrument.
He dropped out of school after the eighth grade and started performing music at the age of 14, becoming popular in weekend “sukey jumps” and “juke joints.” He eventually gained a reputation as the “king” of the twelve-string guitar, and his guitar, which he called “Stella,” became his passport to a new life and freedom. Lead Belly’s love for music was intense, and it allowed him to express his deepest feelings. This passion led him to leave his father’s farm at an early age and travel throughout the Southwest as a musician and laborer.
”Most of the parties and dances … were held in rural houses miles from the nearest town and often miles from the nearest white homestead. ‘They call them sukey jumps,’ Huddie recollected many years later. Sukey or sookie was apparently a Deep South slang term dating from the 1820’s and referring to a servant or slave. A sukey jump, therefore, was once a dance or party in slave quarters. Huddie himself once explained the term by saying, ‘Because they dance so fast, the music was so fast, and the people had to jump, so they called them sooky (sic) jumps.”
Description of Sukey Jumps
The malleability of juke joints developed out of the subversive nature of early blues music itself. During slavery, African Americans were not permitted to gather; in some cases, dancing and singing also were not allowed. Despite these constraints, music played an important role in the development of the African American community. As blues music gained popularity in the Jim Crow South, juke joints became safe places for African Americans to gather without white supervision. The basic principles that kept juke joints covert during segregation have become the defining elements of juke joints since that time.
Description of Juke Joints
He was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his ability to perform a wide range of songs in different styles. His tumultuous personal life added to his fame. He traveled extensively, learning songs through oral tradition, and even played with Blind Lemon Jefferson for a while. In 1918, he was imprisoned in Huntsville, Texas for murder but was reportedly released early in 1925 after singing a song for the governor of Texas during his visit to the prison.
Back on the road with many new songs he had learned and written at Huntsville, Huddie quickly found enthusiastic audiences throughout the south. However, he soon became the target of envy and jealousy from the people he performed for. In 1930, he was sentenced to prison in the Angola Farm in Louisiana after getting into a fight at a party, which was typical in the Jim Crow south. Fortunately, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise because he was discovered by folklorists John and Alan Lomax who were recording prison songs for the Library of Congress.
Lead Belly and the Lomaxes had a complicated and varied relationship that was characterized by a blend of paternalism, exploitation, and mutual adoration. The Lomaxes introduced Lead Belly to audiences in the North, which helped him become well-known and respected, but their relationship was tense and marked by power struggles. During a time when racial dynamics were strongly engrained in American society, the Lomaxes, as white men from the North, maintained a position of power and authority over Lead Belly, a Black man from the South.
Lead Belly worked for John A. Lomax for a little over six months, from September 1934 until March 1935. For the first months he was simply Lomax’s assistant and driver. Although the Lomaxes admired Lead Belly’s musical talent, Lead Belly was presented to White Northern audiences as an exotic musician who they rescued. This representation was often steeped in stereotypes and racist assumptions about Black people. They also sometimes exploited his talent for their own purposes and expected him to conform to their preconceived notions of what a “folk” musician should be. At the same time, the Lomaxes were aware of the racial prejudice that Lead Belly faced as a black man in the segregated South, and they used their connections and influence to help him navigate these obstacles.
Despite this unfavorable dynamic, Lead Belly’s music and performances gave white northerners access to Southern Black culture that they would not have otherwise had. Lead Belly’s music represented a unique and intriguing blend of country, blues, and African-American folk that was unknown to people in the North. Because to Lead Belly’s singing, a lot of white northerners were able to relate to a culture that had previously been largely invisible to them. The Lomaxes brought Lead Belly to New York where he played at several college campuses including Harvard, Princeton, NYU, among others, and was received with great acclaim. He settled in New York City in 1937 but was jailed again in 1939–40 for assault. After his release, he worked with Woody Guthrie, Sonny Terry, and others. Lead Belly died penniless in 1949, but his legacy lives on. His music, including the songs “Goodnight, Irene”, “The Midnight Special”, and “Rock Island Line” became standards and influenced numerous musicians, including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain. Lead Belly was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and his recordings were released in a five-CD box set by the Smithsonian Institution in 2015.
When I play, the women would come around to listen and their men would get angry.
Lead Belly
Music by Lead Belly
The three songs “Goodnight, Irene”, “The Midnight Special”, and “Rock Island Line” are American folk songs that were made popular by Lead Belly and have become standards in American music. They all share a common roots in the blues and folk traditions of the southern United States. They are all characterized by simple, catchy melodies and lyrics that often tell stories about love, loss, and freedom. Additionally, they have all been covered by numerous artists across a variety of genres, attesting to their enduring popularity and influence on American music.
Goodnight, Irene
“Goodnight, Irene” is a folk-blues song written by Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter and John Lomax in the early 20th century. The song was first recorded in 1933 by Lead Belly, but it did not become popular until The Weavers, a folk group, released their version in 1950, which became a huge hit, staying on the charts for 25 weeks.
The song’s lyrics are about a man who is about to leave his woman, Irene, after being caught with another woman. The song expresses regret for the actions that led to the relationship’s demise and a sense of longing to be with Irene one last time before he goes.
“Goodnight, Irene” has become a classic American folk song and has been covered by numerous artists, including Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, and Eric Clapton. The song’s popularity is due to its catchy melody, relatable lyrics, and Lead Belly’s powerful performance. The song’s message of love, regret, and loss has resonated with audiences for decades, making it a timeless classic.
The Midnight Special
Midnight Special” is a traditional folk song with roots in the African-American prison system of the early 20th century. The song tells the story of a prisoner who longs to be free, and believes that if the “Midnight Special” train shines its light on him, he will be released. The song is known for its driving rhythm and call-and-response structure, which is believed to have originated from the work songs sung by prisoners while laboring in the fields or on chain gangs.
The song has been covered by a wide variety of artists, including Lead Belly, who recorded one of the most famous versions in 1934. Lead Belly’s version features his distinctive twelve-string guitar playing, and his powerful vocals bring the song’s message of hope and freedom to life. Other notable covers include recordings by Van Morrison, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Johnny Rivers.
Rock Island Line
“Rock Island Line” is a classic American folk song that tells the story of a train of the same name that travels from Rock Island, Illinois to various locations in the South. The song was made famous by Lead Belly in the 1930s, and has since been covered by countless artists.
The song’s upbeat tempo and catchy melody make it an instantly recognizable tune. Moreover, Lead Belly’s version of the song is notable for his use of call-and-response vocals which gives the song a lively and communal feel. The lyrics themselves paint a vivid picture of life on the railroad, with references to the train’s cotton cargo and its stops in cities such as Memphis and Birmingham.
Although the lyrics are simple, it is packed with meaning and symbolism. The train itself represents the freedom and mobility that many African Americans were denied during the Jim Crow era. The song also contains references to the Bible which show that the struggle for freedom was not just a political one, but a spiritual and moral one as well.
Sources
“About Lead Belly.” The Lead Belly Foundation | About Lead Belly, www.leadbelly.org/leadbelly.html.
“Goodnight, Irene”–Lead Belly (1933) – Loc.gov. www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/GoodnightIrene.pdf.
“Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly).” The Association for Cultural Equity, www.culturalequity.org/alan-lomax/friends/ledbetter#:~:text=Surprisingly%2C%20Lead%20Belly%20worked%20for,simply%20Lomax’s%20assistant%20and%20driver.
Jennifer Nardone. “Juke Joints.” Mississippi Encyclopedia, Center for Study of Southern Culture, 1 May 2018, mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/juke-joints/.
“Lead Belly.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 9 Feb. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Leadbelly.
“Midnight Special: Songs with Earlier Histories than the Hit Version.” Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version | “When You Get Music and Words Together, That Can Be a Very Powerful Thing.” – Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music), 23 July 2021, www.songswithearlierhistories.com/midnight-special/.
“Sukey Jump.” The Word Detective, www.word-detective.com/2009/10/sukey-jump/#:~:text=A%20sukey%20jump%2C%20therefore%2C%20was,them%20sooky%20(sic)%20jumps.
Winick, Stephen. “From ‘Mule-Een’ to New Orleans: Just What Was Lead Belly Saying?: Folklife Today.” The Library of Congress, 23 Aug. 2017, blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2017/08/from-mule-een-to-new-orleans-just-what-was-lead-belly-saying/.
