We continue our way through the life of Leadbelly in Part 4. In this episode we see Leadbelly make a plea for a pardon with his music, and watch as he tries adjusting to life outside of prison. As hard as he tries starting life anew, he finds himself once again behind bars, this time in Angola, known as the Alcatraz of the South, one of the bloodiest prisons in US history.
We finally meet John Lomax and his son Allen who would become key figures in Leadbelly’s life as they traveled the South searching for American folk music to preserve for the Library of Congress. We clear up some Leadbelly myth with primary sources, learn a bit about the earliest attempts at musical preservation through recording, and even get to hear a 130-year-old Passamaquoddy war song recorded by anthropologist Jesse Walker Fewkes.
The adventure continues.
The Real Scorpion King
The Disappearance of Glen and Bessie Hyde
Escape from the Amazon
A Victorian Murder Most Foul
Shackleton in 30 Minutes(ish)
Stealing the Mona Lisa
The Shark Attacks of 1916
Bessie Coleman: A Legend in Flight
Historical Oddities Part 2: The Incredible Afterlife of Outlaw Elmer McCurdy and the London Bridge of Arizona
Historical Oddities Part 1: Frank Hayes, the Unsinkable Violet Jessop, and Jack the Incredible Baboon
The History of Ghosts at Christmas
Stealing and Stealing Back the Stone of Destiny
Clever Hans: The Horse That Outsmarted Everyone
Once Dead, Twice Buried Part 2: A Short History on Being Buried Alive
Once Dead, Twice Buried Part 1: A History of Death Tests and Safety Coffins
A Strange Experiment: Dr. William Beaumont and the 'Guinea Pig' of Mackinac Island.
Leadbelly Part 5: Death of a Legend
Leadbelly Part 3: Music and Murder
Leadbelly Part 2: Fugitive King of the 12 Sting Guitar
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