- Odetta
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"Odetta Holmes" redirects here. For The Dark Tower character, see Susannah Dean.
Odetta 
Odetta performing in 2006.Background information Birth name Odetta Holmes Also known as Odetta Felious (her stepfather's surname), Odetta Gordon Born December 31, 1930
Birmingham, Alabama,
United StatesDied December 2, 2008 (aged 77)
New York City, New York,
United StatesGenres Folk, blues, spirituals, country blues, jazz blues Occupations Singer, musician Instruments Vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboard Years active 1944–2008 Labels Fantasy Records
Tradition Recordings
Vanguard Records
RCA Victor
M.C. Records[1]
Silverwolf[2]
Original Blues ClassicsAssociated acts Leadbelly, Janis Joplin, The Staple Singers, Bessie Smith, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt,[3] Harry Belafonte Website M.C. Records 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[who?] as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals. An important figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, she was influential to many of the key figures of the folk-revival of that time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mavis Staples, and Janis Joplin.
Contents
Biography
Early life and career
Odetta was born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Los Angeles, California, attended Belmont High School, and studied music at Los Angeles City College while employed as a domestic worker. She had operatic training from the age of 13. Her mother hoped she would follow Marian Anderson, but Odetta doubted a large black girl would ever perform at the Metropolitan Opera.[4] Her first professional experience was in musical theater in 1944, as an ensemble member for four years with the Hollywood Turnabout Puppet Theatre, working alongside Elsa Lanchester; she later joined the national touring company of the musical Finian's Rainbow in 1949.
While on tour with Finian's Rainbow, Odetta "fell in with an enthusiastic group of young balladeers in San Francisco", and after 1950 concentrated on folksinging.[5]
She made her name by playing around the United States: at the Blue Angel nightclub (New York City), the hungry i (San Francisco), and Tin Angel (San Francisco), where she and Larry Mohr recorded Odetta and Larry in 1954, for Fantasy Records.
A solo career followed, with Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues (1956) and At the Gate of Horn (1957). Odetta Sings Folk Songs was one of 1963's best-selling folk albums.
In 1959 she appeared on Tonight With Belafonte a nationally televised special. Odetta sang Water Boy and a duet with Belafonte of There's a Hole in My Bucket. [6]
In 1961, Martin Luther King, Jr. anointed her "The Queen of American folk music".[7] Also in 1961 the duo Harry Belafonte and Odetta made #32 in the UK Singles Chart with the song There's a Hole in My Bucket.[8] Many Americans remember her performance at the 1963 civil rights movement's march to Washington where she sang "O Freedom."[9] She considered her involvement in the Civil Rights movement as being "one of the privates in a very big army."[10]
Broadening her musical scope, Odetta used band arrangements on several albums rather than playing alone, and released music of a more "jazz" style music on albums like Odetta and the Blues (1962) and Odetta (1967). She gave a remarkable performance in 1968 at the Woody Guthrie memorial concert.
Odetta also acted in several films during this period, including Cinerama Holiday (1955), the film of William Faulkner's Sanctuary (1961) and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974).
Her marriages to Dan Gordon and Gary Shead ended in divorce. Singer-guitarist Louisiana Red was a former companion.[4]
Later career
In May 1975 she appeared on public television's Say Brother 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.[11]
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 two albums in the 20-year period from 1977-1997: Movin' It On, in 1987 and a new version of Christmas Spirituals, produced by Rachel Faro, in 1988.
Beginning in 1998, she began recording and touring. The new CD To Ella (recorded live and dedicated to her friend Ella Fitzgerald upon hearing of her passing before walking on stage}[citation needed], was released in 1998 on Silverwolf Records, followed by three releases on M.C. Records in partnership with pianist/arranger/producer Seth Farber and record producer Mark Carpentieri. These included Blues Everywhere I Go, a 2000 Grammy Nominated blues/jazz band tribute album to the great lady blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s; Looking for a Home, a 2002 W.C. Handy Award nominated band tribute to Lead Belly; and the 2007 Grammy Nominated Gonna Let It Shine, a live album of gospel and spiritual songs supported by Seth Farber and The Holmes Brothers. These recordings and active touring led to guest appearance on fourteen new albums by 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 presented Odetta with the National Endowment for the Arts' National Medal of Arts. In 2004, Odetta was honored at the Kennedy Center with the "Visionary Award" along with a tribute performance by Tracy Chapman. In 2005, the Library of Congress honored her with its "Living Legend Award".
The 2005 documentary film No Direction Home, directed by Martin Scorsese, 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" and "No More Auction Block for Me".
In 2006, Odetta opened shows for jazz vocalist Madeleine Peyroux, and in 2006 she toured the US, Canada, and Europe accompanied by her pianist, which included being presented by the US Embassy in Latvia as the keynote speaker at a Human Rights conference, and also in a concert in Riga's historic 1,000 year old Maza Guild Hall. In December, 2006, the Winnipeg Folk Festival 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, Madeleine Peyroux, Harry Belafonte, Janis Ian, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Josh White, Jr., (Josh White#Posthumous honors) Peter, Paul and Mary, Oscar Brand, Tom Rush, Jesse Winchester, Eric Andersen, Wavy Gravy, David Amram, Roger McGuinn, Robert Sims, Carolyn Hester, Donal Leace, Marie Knight, Side by Side, and Laura McGhee (from Scotland).[12]
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 in late 2006 and early 2007 to support this CD.[13]
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 Monica, and Mill Valley, in addition to being the sole guest for the evening on PBS-TV's The Tavis Smiley Show.
Odetta was honored on May 8, 2008 at a historic tribute night,[14] hosted by Wavy Gravy, held at Banjo Jim's in the East Village.
In summer 2008, at the age of 77, she launched a North American tour, where she sang from a wheelchair.[15][16] Her set in recent years included "This Little Light of Mine (I'm Gonna Let It Shine)",[17] Lead Belly's "The Bourgeois Blues",[17][18][19] (Something Inside) So Strong", "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" and "House of the Rising Sun".[16]
She made an appearance on June 30, 2008 at The Bitter End on Bleecker Street, New York City for a Liam Clancy tribute concert. Her last big concert, before thousands of people, was in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on October 4, 2008, for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.[20] She last performed at Hugh's Room in Toronto on October 25.[20]
In November 2008, Odetta's health began to decline and she began receiving treatment at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. She had hoped to perform at Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009[20][21]
On December 2, 2008, Odetta died from heart disease in New York City.[20][22][23]
At her memorial service in February 2009 at Riverside Church in New York City, participants included Maya Angelou, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, Geoffrey Holder, Steve Earle, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Peter Yarrow, Tom Chapin, Josh White, Jr. (son of Josh White), Emory Joseph, Rattlesnake Annie, the Brooklyn Technical High School Chamber Chorus, and videotaped tributes from Tavis Smiley and Joan Baez.[24]
Influence
Odetta influenced Harry Belafonte, who "cited her as a key influence" on his musical career;[20] 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] 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. ... [That album was] just something vital and personal. I learned all the songs on that record.";[25] Joan Baez who said "Odetta was a goddess. Her passion moved me. I learned everything she sang.";[26] Janis Joplin, who "spent much of her adolescence listening to Odetta, who was also the first person Janis imitated when she started singing";[27] poet Maya Angelou who 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.";[28] John Waters, whose original screenplay for Hairspray mentions her as an influence on beatniks.[29] and Carly Simon, who cited Odetta as a major influence, and talked about "going weak in the knees" when she had the opportunity to meet her in Greenwich Village[30]
Discography
Further information: Odetta discographyFilmography
Film/programme title Info Year Cinerama Holiday Film 1955 Lamp Unto My Feet TV 1956 Tonight with Belafonte TV/Musical Variety (Emmy Award) 1959 Toast of the Town TV[31] 1960 Sanctuary Drama[32] 1961 Have Gun – Will Travel
episode 159/226: "The Hanging of Aaron Gibbs"TV drama[33] 1961 Les Crane Show TV/Talk/Variety 1965 Festival documentary film[34] 1967 Live from the Bitter End TV - Concert 1967 Clown Town
starring Odetta & Bobby VintonNBC Music Special 1968 The Dick Cavett Show TV/Talk/Variety 1969 The Johnny Cash Show TV/Musical Variety 1969 The Virginia Graham Show TV[35] 1971 The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman TV film 1974 Soundstage: Just Folks
with Odetta, Tom Paxton, Josh White, Jr. and Bob GibsonTV - Concert Special 1980 Ramblin': with Odetta TV - Concert Special 1981 Chords of Fame doc.[36] 1984 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1989 Boston Pops
with Odetta, Shirley Verrett and Boys Choir of HarlemTV - Concert 1991 Tommy Makem & Friends TV - Concert 1992 The Fire Next Time TV film[37] 1993 Turnabout
The Story of the Yale Puppeteersdoc.[38] 1993 Odetta: Woman In (E)motion German TV - Concert Special 1995 Peter, Paul and Mary: Lifelines TV[39] 1996 National Medal of Arts and Humanities Presentations C-Span TV 1999 The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack Drama[40] 2000 21st Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards Awards ceremony[41] 2000 Songs for a Better World TV - Concert Special 2000 Later... with Jools Holland
with Odetta, and Bill Wyman & His Rhythm KingsBBC-TV 2001 Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher TV Talk Show 2001 Late Night with David Letterman TV/Talk/Variety Show 2001 Pure Oxygen TV - Talk Show 2002 Newport Folk Festival TV - Concert Special 2002 Janis Joplin: Pieces of My Heart BBC-TV Biography Special 2002 Get Up, Stand Up:
The Story of Pop and Protestdoc.[42] 2003 Tennessee Ernie Ford 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. 2004 No Direction Home doc. 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, New York
Odetta sings a children’s song medley of "Rock Island Line/Here We Go Looptie-Lou/Bring Me Little Water Sylvie"2007 The Tavis Smiley Show PBS-TV Discussion and performance of the song "Keep on Movin' It On" 25 January 2008 Mountain Stage HD: John Hammond, Odetta, and Jorma Kaukonen PBS-TV Concert Special 2008 Odetta Remembers BBC Four interview and concert footage, 30 mins[43] 6 Feb 2009 The Yellow Bittern A Biopic of Liam Clancy of The Clancy Brothers 2009 See also
References
- ^ MC-records.com
- ^ Silverwolfmusic.com
- ^ Bonnieraitt.com
- ^ a b Weil, Martin; Adam Bernstein (4 December 2008). "Odetta: Matriarch for Generation of Folk Singers". The Washington Post: p. B6. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120301887.html. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ^ Odetta biography, 1956: back cover of "Sings Ballads and Blues"
- ^ http://www.spclarke.com/odetta.htm
- ^ Folk Alley radio - about Odetta
- ^ Chartstats.com - Harry Belafonte and Odetta
- ^ World mourns passing of Odetta
- ^ I'm Gonna Let It Shine
- ^ "Odetta Gordon performs "Give Me Your Hand"". WGBH OpenVault. http://openvault.wgbh.org/saybrother/MLA001040/index.html. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
- ^ Nvcc.edu
- ^ Concerted Efforts website Odetta's Itinerary for 2006-2007 Tour web page. Accessed July 21, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ Indiesoundsny.typepad.com
- ^ Lark Street BID official website Monday Nights in the Park Concert Series web page. Accessed July 21, 2008. Archived June 7, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Malachowsky, David, "A frail Odetta is strong, sure, confident, Albany Times-Union, found at "Review on Times Union Website". Blogs.timesunion.com. Accessed July 23, 2008.
- ^ a b MC Records website. Accessed July 23, 2008.
- ^ Youtube.com, Odetta- Bourgeois Blues (2006). Accessed July 23, 2008.
- ^ Youtube.com, Odetta Live in concert 2005, "Bourgeois Blues". Accessed July 23, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Weiner, Tim (December 3, 2008). "Odetta, Voice of Civil Rights Movement, Dies at 77". The New York Times (December 3). http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/arts/music/03odetta.html?_r=1&hp. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
- ^ Guardian (UK) article 01 December 2008
- ^ International Herald Tribune, 3 December 2008. IHT.com
- ^ "US folk icon Odetta dies aged 77". BBC (December 3). December 4, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7762521.stm. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
- ^ Ryzik, Melena (2009-02-26). "Remembering Odetta, Who Sang of Freedom". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/arts/music/26odetta.html?ref=music.
- ^ Playboy interview with Bob Dylan, March 1978
- ^ Loder, Kurt (1983). "Joan Baez: The Rolling Stone Interview" Rolling Stone 4/14/83 (issue # 393)
- ^ Janisjoplin.net - page about Odetta's influence on Janis Joplin
- ^ Maya Angelou, Concerted Efforts.
- ^ Nuisance Industry, "Odetta has passed away." Blog, Daily Kos, December 2, 2008, Tribute to Odetta at DailyKos.com Accessed December 2, 2008
- ^ Sheila Weller, Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation, n.d.
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ BBC Four Programmes: Odetta Remembers 23 February 2009
External links
- A page from her current record company, MC Records
- A page from her management company, Concerted Efforts
- Odetta Vanguard Records
- Fan page at Geocities
- Odetta's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
- AP Obituary in The New York Times
- Odetta remembrance and archive at NPR Music
- Odetta Gordon performs "Give Me Your Hand" video from the WGBH Archives
Categories:- 1930 births
- 2008 deaths
- African American musicians
- African American female guitarists
- African American female singers
- American blues singers
- American female guitarists
- American female singers
- American folk singers
- Fast Folk artists
- RCA Victor artists
- Vanguard Records artists
- African Americans' rights activists
- History of African-American civil rights
- United States National Medal of Arts recipients
- People from Birmingham, Alabama
- People from Greenwich Village, New York
- Los Angeles City College alumni
- Musical groups from Los Angeles, California
- Cardiovascular disease deaths in New York
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