Odetta Holmes Died At 77

Odetta may not be a familiar name to everyone here, but if you are a fan of Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen, you are a fan of someone influenced by Odetta. If the songs of the Civil Rights Movement move you, you will be moved by Odetta.

Just a hint of Odetta Holmes' accomplishments from the New York Times obituary:

"Odetta sang at coffeehouses and at Carnegie Hall, made highly influential recordings of blues and ballads, and became one of the most widely known folk-music artists of the 1950s and ’60s. She was a formative influence on dozens of artists, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Janis Joplin...

"Rosa Parks, the woman who started the boycott of segregated buses in Montgomery, Ala., was once asked which songs meant the most to her. She replied, "All of the songs Odetta sings."

"Odetta sang at the march on Washington, a pivotal event in the civil rights movement, in August 1963. Her song that day was "O Freedom," dating to slavery days: 'O freedom, O freedom, O freedom over me, And before I’d be a slave, I’d be buried in my grave, And go home to my Lord and be free.'"

I was lucky enough to see Odetta perform for free at my high school years ago. She gave countless such concerts over the years, eager to educate and entertain younger audiences about the music and people that have shaped this country. On a political note, I am so glad she made it to see November 4, and am sad that she could not make it to the inauguration.

Enough of me blabbing on. Hear the woman herself. Here's Odetta singing "House of the Rising Sun."

Rest in peace Odetta.

By Nuisance Industry's diary of Daily Kos.