Folk Music Legend Odetta Dead At 77

Odetta

Condolences to family, friends, and fans of ODETTA, the folk singer whose music served as an influence to BOB DYLAN and JANIS JOPLIN and served as a soundtrack to the civil rights movement, who passed away in NEW YORK TUESDAY at 77. The singer, whose full name was ODETTA HOLMES, had been in the hospital since the middle of last month after going into kidney failure during a medical checkup; the cause of death appears to be heart disease.

ODETTA was a major figure in the folk music boom of the fifties and early sixties, and was a KENNEDY CENTER honoree, a winner of the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS' Living Legend Award, and a National Medal of Arts winner.

« see more Net News