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Odetta (b. December 31, 1930) is an African-American singer and guitarist whose repertoire consists largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals. She was an important figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and '60s, and a formative influence on artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Janis Joplin.
BiographyEarly lifeShe was born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Los Angeles, California, and studied music at Los Angeles City College. Having operatic training from the age of 13, 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. Career beginnings
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 Odetta at the Gate of Horn (1957). Odetta Sings Folk Songs was one of 1963's best-selling folk albums. Martin Luther King, Jr.called her "the queen of American folk music"[2], and poet Maya Angelou once said,
Acting career
1970s - 80sChanging her musical direction, Odetta used band arrangements rather than playing alone, and released music of a more "jazz" style music on albums like Odetta and The Blues (1965) and Odetta (1967). Odetta only released two new albums in the 20-year period from 1977-1997: Movin' It On and Christmas Spirituals, both in 1987. Recent yearsShe continues to tour and record, having released a new album, To Ella (dedicated to Ella Fitzgerald, although only in the record's name, not its music), which was recorded live in 1998. Several new solo releases on M.C. Records followed, including Looking for a Home, a collection of Lead Belly covers; and Gonna Let It Shine (2005). On September 29, 1999, President Bill Clinton presented Odetta with the National Endowment for the Arts' Medal of the Arts. 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 the 1960s, and we also hear Odetta's songs "Muleskinner Blues" and "No More Auction Block for Me". In 2005, Odetta opened shows for jazz vocalist Madeleine Peyroux, and in 2006 she toured the US, Canada, Latvia and Scotland, accompanied on piano by Seth Farber. Gonna Let It Shine received a 2007 Grammy nomination, for Best Traditional Folk Album. InfluenceAmong the many musicians who cite Odetta as a major musical influence have been:
Discography** denotes Grammy nomination. *** denotes Grammy Winner Studio & live albums:
Compilations:
Albums on which Odetta features:
Filmography and TV appearances
Notes
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