Lead Belly was a complicated man and certainly no saint. But he made some wonderful, wonderful music, and his influence travelled far beyond the blues.
From Bob Dylan to Nirvana, musicians across generations found something in his songs and his distinctive twelve-string guitar playing. His music crossed boundaries between blues, folk and gospel, carrying stories from the American South into the wider world.
At Rock the Joint, we believe in celebrating new artists, but we also stand on the shoulders of giants. Lead Belly is one of those giants — and his music deserves to be remembered.
