What is Odetta famous for?

Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil and human rights activist, often referred to as “The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement”. Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals.

Is Odetta still alive?

Deceased (1930–2008)
Odetta/Living or Deceased

How old is Odetta?

77 years (1930–2008)
Odetta/Age at death

Odetta Remembered. Odetta was often called “The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement.” Activist and singer Odetta has died. She was 77 years old.

What did President Clinton say about Odetta?

In 1999, Odetta was honored at the White House by President Bill Clinton with the National Medal of Arts and Humanities. As President Clinton presented her with the medal he noted, “She is the reigning queen of American folk music, reminding us all that songs have the power to change the heart and change the world. “

What award did President Bill Clinton give Odetta before she passed away in 2008?

She is known affectionately as the “voice of the civil rights movement.” President Bill Clinton awarded her the National Medal of Arts and Humanities in 1999, and if she had not died from heart disease shortly before at age seventy-seven, Odetta would have performed at President Obama’s inauguration ceremony in 2008.

Where was Odetta born?

Birmingham, AL
Odetta/Place of birth

How did Susannah lose her legs?

Odetta Holmes is one of the alternate personalities of Susannah Dean. Odetta was the original name that the woman was born with. Later, Jack Mort would strike again, pushing her in front of a train at Christopher Street Station, causing Odetta to lose her legs.

Where did Odetta live?

Birmingham
Odetta/Places lived
The following is a heartfelt remembrance of Odetta and her enduring impact by her manager Doug Yeager. Odetta was born in the ghetto of Birmingham, Alabama in 1930, at a time when it was oppressive and dangerous for an African-American family living in Jim Crow South.

What did Rosa Parks say about Odetta music?

Rosa Parks, when asked by her biographer Douglas Brinkley what songs she listened to during the civil rights movement, she responded, “All the songs Odetta sings.” In 1963, Odetta sang for the masses on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the historic March on Washington.

Was Odetta ever married?

Louisiana Redm. 1977–2008
Odetta/Spouse
Odetta married three times: to Don Gordon, to Gary Shead, and, in 1977, to the blues musician Iverson Minter, known professionally as Louisiana Red. The first two marriages ended in divorce; Mr. Minter moved to Germany in 1983.

What kind of music does Odetta sing?

Her most prominent later works include Movin’ It On (1987), Blues Everywhere I Go (1999) and Looking for a Home (2001). One of the greatest American folk singers of all time, Odetta has been cited as a prominent influence by such legendary musicians as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Janis Joplin.

Who is Odetta and why is she important?

Folk singer Odetta’s music has been called the “soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement.” Her work inspired musicians from Bob Dylan to Joan Baez. Odetta was born on December 31, 1930, in Birmingham, Alabama.

Why did Odetta sing about the Great Depression?

Growing up in the Deep South during the Great Depression, Odetta fell in love with the work songs she heard people singing to ease the pain of the times. “They were liberation songs,” she later recalled. “You’re walking down life’s road, society’s foot is on your throat, every which way you turn you can’t get from under that foot.

What did Odetta sing on Tonight with Harry Belafonte?

Odetta Sings Folk Songs was one of the best-selling folk albums of 1963. In 1959 she appeared on Tonight with Belafonte, a nationally televised special. She sang ” Water Boy ” and a duet with Belafonte, ” There’s a Hole in My Bucket “. In 1961, Martin Luther King Jr. called her “The Queen of American Folk Music”.