Page 62 - BiTS_05_MAY_2025

Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll
(DVD)—Weinerworld Cat No: WNRD2612

In the beginning, the life (and music) of Huddy
(pronounced Hooo-dee) Ledbetter are coterminous

with the life of John Avery Lomax (September 23, 1867
– January 26, 1948)who was an American teacher,
pioneering musicologist, and a folklorist. Together
with his teenage son Alan, John set out in 1933 to

collect indigenous music from Texas prison farms,
recording work songs, reels, ballads, and blues from
prisoners.

Moving from Texas to Louisiana, they visited the state
prison at Angola and there encountered Huddy

Ledbetter, a 12 string guitar player and powerful
singer. The following year the pair returned to Angola
and at Ledbetter’s insistence recorded a song aimed
at seeking parole from the state’s governor. According to some sources that may have

persuaded the governor to release him but other sources suggest that Ledbetter was
due for a good behaviour release anyway.

Whatever the truth of that, Ledbetter shortly thereafter became the Lomax’s driver

and later a resource for Lomax giving examples of the music of which he spoke, to
enchanted audiences. Shortly thereafter the pair fell out (allegedly over money) and
Huddie was able to go his own way. His powerful charisma and ability as a musician

and as a raconteur led him to an almost unique position in the world of folk song,
ballads and blues.

Here, with a plethora of interviews with the likes of Pete Seeger, Odetta, Joan Baez,
Arlo Guthrie (who’s father Woody, was involved in promoting Huddy to white
audiences) Jerry Lee Lewis, and others is the story of Lead Belly writ large. For us in
the UK, the key voice has to be Van Morrison who was one of thousands of young

people (I was one of them) who formed the core of the ‘skiffle’ craze which
overwhelmed the UK and led to an interest in blues and America roots music that
still survives; a life time on the hook!

This documentary sheds light on the man who affected (and infected) us so
profoundly that his presence is part of our lives even today and who was at the core
to the thousands of young people who started the surge which led to ‘rock and roll’

music. A surge that was returned to its roots by dozens of white musicians who
manned the British Invasion in the 1960’s.

Get this one. You will not regret it.

Ian K McKenze