The Lead Belly Foundation is a non profit organization founded by Queen “Tiny” Robinson neice of Huddie Ledbetter for the purpose of enriching our lives through music...


 Our Mission
To provide support and teaching needs of the music community through the preservation, conservation and continuing accessibility of the legend Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter’s original materials to enrich the lives of students ,aspiring artist, his contemporaries, and successors will be performing to continue to teach and influence Lead Belly's style in blues and folk music.

 

 Our Vision
Community involvement in music education leading to academic success and life sustaining careers. 

 Foundation Values
Excellence in education
Support school programs

Volunteer service to meet
educational
 needs for students

Accountability for results
Preserve musical heritage


To assure support and long term access to Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter’s music collections, and other shared memories.

To sponsor music workshops, music institutes, summer camps and concerts in which the music of Lead Belly, his contemporaries, and successors will be performing to continue to teach and influence Lead Belly’s style in blues and folk music.

Continual enhancement and maintenance of Lead Belly’s grave in Mooringsport, Louisiana which has been a national shrine for music lovers both in the United States and abroad.

To provide music scholarships to individual school-age students who desire to study a musical instrument for the purpose of enriching their lives academically, recreationally and socially.

We will provide continual support to students who aspire to further their musical talents by attending college and create mentor relationships for them to enter into the career world successfully.

To provide support to school music programs in order to enhance academic success, and increase the understanding and enjoyment of music.

To establish a museum to exhibit Lead Belly archives and memorbilia to further expose the many facets of Huddie Ledbetter.



MAKE A DONATION TO THE
FOUNDATION HERE


 

 

Famous Quotes

Alex Haley, author of “Roots” says
“Lead Belly is kind of the Mount Everest of Blues Singer.”

Paul Robeson wrote
“Our American Negro folk songs spran directly out of our lives-our working lives- like John Henry ballards and countless others so superbly sung by Lead Belly.”

Bob Dylan has admitted
"A debt to Lead Belly”

Janis Joplin said

‘It was Lead Belly first”

Keith Richards (Rolling Stone) tries to
“Keep rolling, to grow up the art of rock n’ roll, to age with the weather-beaten diginity of his mentors, the great, hard living bluesmen like Lead Belly.”

Roy Orbinson saw himself as an
“allround singer like Lead Belly who sang all kinds of material.”


Van Morrison said
” Lead Belly was not an influence, he was the influence. If it wasn’t for him, I may never have been here. I don’t think he’s really dead. A lot of people’s bodies die but I don’t think their spirits die with them.”

Kurt Cobain
”idolizes blues legend, Huddie Ledbetter

Josh White in recalling Lead Belly,
”Had enormous respect for the gaint of folk song.”

Alan Lomax wrote that Lead Belly
”Sang the blues wonderfully,but he was much bigger than that. He encompassed the whole black era, from square dance calls to the blues of the 30’s and 40’s”

Robert Plant says
“He was one of the main movers when I was a kid.”

Oscar Brand says
“There are very few people left alive who knew Lead Belly as a person. Like Woody, he was an icon. But I can’t help but think of him as a friend.”

Odetta says
“Lead Belly’s music still strikes a chord today, because it addresses our human condition.”

 

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