January 27, 2012
Elizabeth Cotten Pictures {0}
elizabeth-cotten
Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten (* January 5 1895 in Chapel Hill , North Carolina , † June 29 1987 in Syracuse , New York ) was an influential American folk – and blues musician. A wider audience, she was known only at the age of well over 60 years. The songs of the Grammy -winner were from well-known bands and musicians like Pete Seeger , Peter, Paul and Mary and the Grateful Dead recorded. Her play Is not Got No Honey Baby Now was established in 1940 by Blind Boy Fuller as Lost Lover Blues recorded.
Year of birth and date are controversial, some sources give 1892 or 1893, or another day in January. As a child, Elizabeth Cotten took first playing the banjo, then on to the guitar itself. She held the left-handed instruments as “travels” around. This resulted in her unique guitar technique in which they at fingerpicking played the melody on the treble strings with the thumb and the alternating bass on the low strings with your index finger.
Elizabeth Cotten is said that they could play songs, after she heard this. Its most famous piece Freight Train is said to have written it at the age of 12 years.
At 11 she left school to work as housemaids. From self-earned money, she bought her first guitar. She performed at parties and festivals. At 15, she married Frank Cotten and soon had a daughter.
Elizabeth gave the music to almost completely. The family moved several times, including to New York and Washington DC . The marriage ended in divorce in 1940 with Frank, and Elizabeth moved to the family of her daughter Lillie.
Mid-1940s met Elizabeth Ruth Crawford Seeger know, when they brought back their daughter, who had lost his way. Elizabeth eventually working with the Seegers, a very musical family, where they are the children Mike , Pete and Peggy care.
Elizabeth was by chance discovered musical talent. Mike Seeger in 1957 produced their first album Negro Folk Songs and Tunes, which was later than Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs was re-released. From 1960, she appeared before an audience, often with Mike Seeger. Meanwhile she was 65 to 68 years old, depending on year of birth.
Elizabeth Cotten benefited from folk and blues revival of the 1960s. In 1963 she played at the first Philadelphia Folk Festival, 1964 at the Newport Folk Festival . She performed with blues greats such as Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters on, but also gave their own concerts.
In 1967 their second album Shake Sugaree . In 1984 she won a Grammy for the album Elizabeth Cotten Live! . She was also a National Heritage Fellowship award. In 1989 she became the 75 most influential African-American women counted, which was the photo documentation of “I Dream a World” dedicated.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Cotten lived in Syracuse, New York, where she died in 1987, probably 92 years old. She had occurred until recently.
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