Odetta was born on December 31, 1930, in the state of Alabama. She and her mother moved to Los Angeles, California, when she was a child. Odetta began opera training at the age of 13 because her mother hoped she would follow in the footsteps of the famous opera singer Marian Anderson. Odetta made her stage debut in 1944 with Finian’s Rainbow, a musical theater production with which she stayed for a while. Odetta didn’t start singing and writing the blues and folk music that many people still know her for until the early 1950s.
Odetta moved from San Francisco to New York in 1953 to pursue a career in folk music. She performed in several influential clubs over the next decade, including the Blue Angel in New York City and the hungry I and the Tin Angel in San Francisco. Fantasy Records released her first album in 1954, which she co-wrote with Larry Mohr. Her music from this period was later praised as a unique blend of traditional African spirituals, folk, and blues. Furthermore, many modern pop artists, including Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin, credit Odetta’s music from this period of her career as an influence.
With the burgeoning civil rights movement bringing changes to American society and culture, the next decade was a tumultuous one for America. Odetta’s career took off, and she went on to record several albums, including Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues in 1956 and At the Gate of Horn in 1957. Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent African American civil rights leader, praised Odetta in 1961, calling her the “queen of American folk music,” ensuring her place in black history celebrations to this day. She continued to branch out, not only releasing albums but also starring in feature films and proudly participating in the civil rights movement.
Many of Odetta’s fans believe she vanished from the scene between 1977 and 1997, releasing only two albums during that time period. Odetta resumed touring and releasing new albums at the same rate she had earlier in her career in 1998, after a hiatus from the entertainment industry. During this time, she received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1999 and the Living Legend Award from the Library of Congress in 2006.
Odetta embarked on what would be her final tour in 2008. She had a number of high-profile appearances throughout the year, including being the keynote speaker at San Diego’s Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration. On October 25, 2008, she gave her last official performance at Hugh’s Room in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Odetta began receiving treatment for heart disease at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital in November 2008. Odetta Holmes died on December 2, 2008, putting an end to a long and illustrious musical career.