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Chapter 3 - On the Road

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2024

Sheila Curran Bernard
Sheila Curran Bernard
Affiliation:
University at Albany, State University of New York
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Summary

Ledbetter and Lomax set out on an arduous journey to record in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas – primarily on prison farms overwhelmingly holding Black prisoners. Ledbetter learns some tunes for which he will later become famous, including “The Rock Island Line.” The strain of their grossly unequal relationship wears Ledbetter down, even as Lomax’s hopes to present the performer to northern audiences build. This chapter explores Ledbetter’s musical aspirations, from his early years as a child prodigy to his time in the Dallas area with Blind Lemon Jefferson.

Keywords

Rock Island LineBlind Lemon JeffersonSilver City BluesMusical prodigyJim Crow
Type
Chapter
Information
Bring Judgment Day
Reclaiming Lead Belly's Truths from Jim Crow's Lies
 , pp. 46 - 60
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • On the Road
  • Sheila Curran Bernard, University at Albany, State University of New York
  • Book: Bring Judgment Day
  • Online publication: 21 June 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009103619.005
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • On the Road
  • Sheila Curran Bernard, University at Albany, State University of New York
  • Book: Bring Judgment Day
  • Online publication: 21 June 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009103619.005
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • On the Road
  • Sheila Curran Bernard, University at Albany, State University of New York
  • Book: Bring Judgment Day
  • Online publication: 21 June 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009103619.005
Available formats
×