Odetta

Odetta (b. December 31, 1930) is an African-American singer and guitarist whose repertoire consists largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and

Odetta (b. December 31, 1930) is an African-American singer and guitarist whose repertoire consists largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals. She was an important figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and '60s, and a formative influence on artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Janis Joplin.

She was born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Los Angeles, California, and studied music at Los Angeles City College. Having operatic training from the age of 13, her first professional experience was in musical theater in 1944, as an ensemble member for four years with the Hollywood Turnabout Puppet Theatre, working alongside Elsa Lanchester; she later joined the national touring company of the musical Finian's Rainbow in 1949.