ODETTA

I found this 5 minute video over at Hootsbuddy's place. Odetta's voice still brings chills to my heart. She is 78 years old and in a wheel chair and can still bring an audience to their feet. He says of her:

I notice a good many You Tube videos of Odetta have been put up just in the last few weeks. Those who don't know who she is and how deeply important she is to the civil rights movement can start there for inspiration. She is one of the living legends.

Today was kind of a bummer. I had to go out to Lodge to let the guy in to put in a new meter and not enough people showed up for practice but when I found this I can be grateful that I live in an era when we can see and appreciate these wonderful performances. I used to tell my students that they should realize that they were better fed, better clothed, and better entertained than Julius Caesar and he ruled the entire world. I think it went right over their head but I appreciate it. In the meantime listen to Odetta.

– Maya Angelou, Poet Laureate says of her:

If only one could be sure that every 50 years a voice and a soul like Odetta's would come along, the centuries would pass so quickly and painlessly we would hardly recognize time"

You won't be sorry. ARTYAL, Answer your e-mail and give someone a great big hug. jcs
P S - You can read her biography here.