Odetta
| Odetta | |
|---|---|
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Odetta (1961)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Odetta Holmes |
| Also known as | Odetta Gordon |
| Born |
December 31, 1930 Birmingham, Alabama, United States |
| Died | December 2, 2008 (aged 77) New York City |
| Genres | Folk, blues, spirituals |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1944–2008 |
| Labels | Fantasy, Tradition, Vanguard, RCA Victor, MC, Silverwolf, Original Blues Classics |
| Associated acts | Lead Belly, Janis Joplin, The Staple Singers, Bessie Smith, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt Harry Belafonte |
Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, 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. An important figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, she influenced many of the key figures of the folk-revival of that time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mavis Staples, and Janis Joplin. Time included her song "Take This Hammer" on its list of the All-Time 100 Songs, stating that "Rosa Parks was her No. 1 fan, and Martin Luther King Jr. called her the queen of American folk music."
Odetta was born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Los Angeles, 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. 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.
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