Talking to Alvin Singh

We took some time to sit down with Alvin Singh, Lead Belly's great nephew. He shared with us a wonderful story about Lead Belly that he heard as he traveled around the country to shoot the Lead Belly documentary, coming out this fall (the link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X9svGYLXwA). Please take a few minutes and hear how Lead Belly touched one person's life.

HCTLG Feat Keith Harkin - Leadbelly

HCTLG Feat Keith Harkin - Leadbelly

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This is a link to Keith Harkin playing his song entitled "Lead Belly."

The Man in Black and The Rock Island Line

"The Rock Island Line" is a song written by Lead Belly in the 1930s. It is about the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad. The song was originally sang a Capella. Here is a great clip of a cover by Johnny Cash. The evolution of the song is evident through the big band arrangement.

Paul McCartney Playing "The Midnight Special" -- A Classic

Billy Bragg redefines Lead Belly's Classic "Bourgeois Blues".

Lead Belly originally wrote one of his most famous songs after encountering racism in Washington D.C. His experience is expressed in the song which later became a Library of congress recording. In 2006, England's "folk-punk-poet-bard" Billy Bragg decided, after dissaproval with the current U.S. Government under the George W. Bush Administration, to put his own spin to the song. "Bush War Blues" exhibits the heavy influence of Lead Belly and allows the classic song to remain timeless.
A link to the song can be found here: Billy Bragg "Bush War Blues"
-Jake Kennelly, The Lead Belly Foundation

Kurt Cobain and Mark Lanegan Sing Lead Belly

Lead Belly Blues Festival video Part 1 of 4