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Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (née Nevills; January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an influential American folk and blues musician. She was a self-taught left-handed guitarist who played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down. [4]
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1895-1987), best known for her timeless song "Freight Train," built her musical legacy on a firm foundation of late 19th- and early 20th-century African-American instrumental traditions.
Elizabeth Cotten died in June 1987 in Syracuse, New York, at the age of 94, but her impact on American musical traditions is profound and far-reaching, touching on various aspects of folk, blues, and popular music.
Jun 29, 2022 · How Elizabeth Cotten's music fueled the folk revival Although inducted into the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, her contributions haven't always been properly acknowledged.
Music Video by Elizabeth Cotten performing her Freight Train classic in this historic footage from the University of Washington, courtesy of the Seattle Folk...
When she was nine years old, Cotten was forced to leave school and work as a domestic in the homes of white people. At age 12, she had a live-in job in Chapel Hill, earning a dollar a month that her mother saved to buy her first guitar, a Stella.
Elizabeth Cotten. About Media Gallery Legacy Links. "I don't know nothing about no notes, I can't read music. You just get a song and know it and just keep fooling around with it 'til you get it to sound like you want it to sound. And whether it's right or wrong I just go on with it if it sounds to suit me."
Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten’s warm and intimate recordings and live performances inspired generations of artists, and her guitar prowess and musical inventiveness influenced countless other musicians.
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1895-1987), best known for her timeless song " Freight Train ," built her musical legacy on a firm foundation of late 19th- and early 20th-century African-American instrumental traditions.
Jun 29, 2022 · Cotten didn't leave domestic work until she was nearly 80 years old, at about the same time she received the 1972 Burl Ives Award for her contributions to folk music. It wasn't until 1984 that Cotten was recognized as a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts.
