Odette / Holmes /

Odetta Holmes was born December 31, 1930 in the city of Birmingham Alabama in the U.S.. She grew up in Los Angeles and her mother had hoped that Odette will be opera singer. The girl took private music lessons while attending college and, later, when working as a maid.

In the 1944th year, Odette got a job in a puppet show 'Turnabo', where she worked for four years. In the 1949th year, she toured with the musical 'Finian's Rainbow' and after this work finally decided to sing in the genres of folk, blues, jazz, blues, soul and Inspiration. She plays the acoustic guitar and sang in nightclubs, San Francisco and in the 1954th year, along with Larry Mohr created the singer his first album 'Odetta and Larry'.

. Then recorded several solo albums 'Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues' (1956), 'At the Gate of Horn' (1957), 'Odetta and The Blues' (1962), 'Odetta Sings Folk Songs' (1963)
. In 1961 to the year of Martin Luther King, named Odette (Odetta) Queen of American folk music. Indeed, the early work of Odette had a tremendous influence on the work of musicians such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baetts, Janis Joplin and many others.

. Simultaneously Odetta (Odetta) appeared in films in small roles, including the screen version of the novel by William Faulkner's 'Sanctuary (Sanctuary)'.

. Continuing to sing about with the 1975th year, Odetta (Odetta) became involved in social issues - in particular, it has been an active fighter for the rights of the black population of America
. She made many appearances on television in defense of the rights of black people. And, of course, these problems were reflected in her work. Overall, Odetta (Odetta) has recorded more than twenty-five albums, not counting compilations of the best songs. She thrice nominated for a Grammy in 1963, eating establishments - for the album 'Odetta Sings Folk Songs', in the 1999th - for the 'Blues Everywhere I Go' and the 2005th - for 'Gonna Let It Shine'. In the 1999th year Odetta (Odetta) was awarded the National Medal of Arts of the U.S. Congress, which she handed President Bill Clinton.

Odetta (Odetta) was thrice married, with Dan Gordon and Gary for Shidom and for the singer and guitarist Louisiana Redom. Children had not had. She died on 2 December of the year 2008 in New York of heart failure. Until the last days of the singer dreams to speak at the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president.