Videos

Recorded in 1934, this song, performed by prisoner Kelly Pace and fellow prisoners. Like Lead Belly, Pace recorded several songs between stints in prison. Unfortunately, though he possessed a better voice, Pace never achieved the fame of Lead Belly.

Chain gang recording made by John Lomax at the Darrington State Prison Farm, Texas, in 1934.

John Lomax’s son, Alan, remembers the voice, life, and impact of Lead Belly, who was discovered and recorded first by his father for the Library of Congress in the mid-1930s.

This 1935 “March of Time” film creates a staged “prison” setting for ex-convict Lead Belly to perform, recording for ethnomusicologist John Lomax.

Recorded in 1940, this traditional country blues/folk song has backing by the Golden Gate Quartet, a professional vocal group. In order to emulate the sound of prisoners as backup singers, Lead Belly had to coach the group to alter their vocals to be less polished, more gritty and amateurish.

Influencing generations of folk, blues, and rock singers, Lead Belly first recorded this song in 1944.

In the MTV Unplugged performance, Kurt Cobain performs Lead Belly’s classic song.