Lead Belly is oddly paired in my mind with AP Carter.
Both were conduits of music from the people to commercial scene.
What is a Lead Belly song? He didn't write Goodnight Irene or Rock Island Line, but they are Lead Belly songs. Similarly with lots of Carter Family songs.
Lead Belly's music got known by other people playing it, not so much him.
A friend recently turned me onto the version of In The Pines by Fantastic Negrito. Good stuff.
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