City Songs: Alberta

Leadbelly: Alberta

[purchase]

Huddie William Ledbetter, Lead Belly, or Leadbelly was a key inspiration for many modern artists, from Dylan, to Elvis Costello, to Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. He was imprisoned at least three times, once for murder.  According to Wikipedia:

Bob Dylan once remarked, on his XM radio show, that Lead Belly was "One of the few ex-cons who recorded a popular children’s album."

Alabama Bound is the only album of his that I own. Apparently there are literally hundreds of recordings out there, but I've never had the inclination to pursue any others. He's pretty cool in smaller doses, though.