“Goodnight, Irene,” “Midnight Special,” “In the Pines,” "Where Did You Sleep Last Night"... Huddie Ledbetter's songs were covered by many musicians, including Bob Dylan, Odetta, Led Zeppelin, and the Grateful Dead. I had heard of Lead Belly—as he was known—and was familiar with his music but not his backstory—until I read Bring Judgment Day: Reclaiming Lead Belly’s Truths from Jim Crow’s Lies.
Sheila Curran Bernard, an Emmy and Peabody award-winning documentary filmmaker (and my younger sister!) uncovered Ledbetter’s story while working on another project. In her research, she discovered primary source materials that contradicted the accepted narrative of his life and musical legacy as portrayed by ethnomusicologists John and Alan Lomax.
In reading Bring Judgment Day, I learned about our country’s disgraceful history of segregation, discovered unusual musical connections, and was reminded of how history is recounted by those with power. Lomax‘s portrayal of Ledbetter veers from reality, painting him as a violent ex-convict when he was actually a pawn in the political game of the post-Reconstruction South. Having lived in New England most of my life, I’m not sure I still fully grasp the significance of Jim Crow laws on the social and cultural history of our entire country. I recommend this book to fans of the blues, folk, and rock; students of American history; and anyone interested in racial justice.
Sheila will speak at the Norwich Bookstore on Thursday, September 26 at 7 pm. She will be at the Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock the following afternoon, Friday, September 27 at 4 pm for a presentation co-hosted by the Yankee Bookshop. It's time to celebrate the contributions of Huddie Ledbetter and the music of Lead Belly!
Liza Bernard is a voracious reader who enjoys both printed volumes and audiobooks. Formerly co-owner of the Norwich Bookstore, she maintains her connections with readers and writers as the Programming and Marketing Librarian at the Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock, Vermont.