She lived long enough to see America's first African-American president elected, but within a month of this historic election, she passed on. There are many people who have said that Bob Dylan "he had his finger on the pulse of his generation." Before he checked for a pulse, he put his ear up close to the speakers and listened to a musician who put singing, lyrics and political activism above all else. Her voice influenced a generation of musicians, and it will live on.
Because I am a huge Bob Dylan fan, my father took out one of his vinyl records that he had saved from the 60's and played it for me. It was a collection of Bob Dylan songs sung by Odetta, a folk icon who was scheduled to sing at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration. She passed away Tuesday. I remembered the first time I heard her sing "Long Ago, Far Away," an unreleased Dylan song that captured the mood of those in the 60's generation who wanted to create a better world.
"And to talk of peace and brotherhood,
Oh, what might be the cost!
A man he did it long ago
And they hung him on a cross.
Long ago, far away;
Things like that don't happen
No more, nowadays"
Odetta believed that "the world hasn't improved, and so there's always something to sing about."
Odetta Speaks About Her Life As An Activist
It is one thing to have a great voice, it is another to have a great heart, and Odetta had both. She stood up for the oppressed and sang songs of justice, equality, and dignity. Her influence on the 60's folk music scene is immeasurable.
Maybe Bob Dylan put it best, saying, "the first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta. From Odetta, I went to Harry Belafonte, the Kingston Trio, little by little uncovering more as I went along." We all know the songs, "The Times They Are A'Changin', Blowin' In The Wind, Masters Of War, and other Dylan classic. Would these songs have existed if Dylan had not heard Odetta?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asked Odetta to sing "I'm On My Way" to lead him into his now infamous I Have A Dream Speech at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. She obliged. She was given one more chance to perform the song, and obliged to meet President-elect Obama's request. If anybody has video of this historic performance, please post it online.
Though she had been surrounded by profound figures through her life, she held her own. If only this generation had an Odetta to lead us to the promised land. This generation needs somebody like Odetta to preech the truth and lead us to the promised land. Odetta has left us with her music, her activism and her unrelenting commitment to justice. Now it is time for you to put your ear up to the speaker, listen, and change the world.
Thank you Odetta. You will be missed, but your voice will live on.
You can purchase Odetta Sings Dylan here.
"I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
alive as you and me.
Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died" said he,
"I never died" said he."
Keep on Moving it On
Odetta: Cotton Fields
Odetta: We Shall Overcome
Odetta: Midnight Special
Brother Can You Spare A Dime: Dr. John & Odetta