"Lead Belly, Negro Minstrel. Sweet Singer of Swamplands Here to Do a Few Tunes Between Homicides.”

 His album was all that ever played in the pool room at EHS.

Sometime around 1939, Lead Belly sang the song Daddy I’m Coming Back to You, which features the interesting lyrics: “I’m dreaming tonight of an old Southern town, the best friend I ever had…I’ve had my way, but now I’ll stay, I long for you and for home.”

The song was a tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, who is often considered one of the fathers of country music. The fact is that Lead Belly, like many African Americans in his day, had a complicated history with race, but he always loved the South and southern music. Lead Belly should be remembered as a treasure that sang gospel, blues, country, and “folk” ballads. He was also multi-talented musician that played harmonica, accordion, piano, violin, mandolin, and was even labeled “king of the twelve string guitar.”

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