Leon Bibb

Leon Bibb was one of the most prominent African-American folksingers from the 1950s and early ’60s, and enjoyed a parallel profession as an acting professional aswell (sometimes beneath the name Lee Charles). Given birth to Charles Leon Arthello Bibb in Louisville, Kentucky in 1922, he was raised as an admirer from the acting professional/vocalist/activist Paul Robeson, probably the most prominent African-American performer — in music, movie theater, or movies — from the ’30s and early ’40s, and searched for to emulate the latter’s profession. He studied traditional singing in NEW YORK, and produced his first main movie theater appearance in the initial creation of Annie MAKE YOUR Weapon (1946), starring Ethel Merman, where he performed a waiter; he was also noticed and credited in the 1946 ensemble recording from the present. Bibb afterwards changed toward folk music, and was noticed, alongside such luminaries as Robert DeCormier, Pete Seeger, and Sonny Terry, in the 1954 record Hootenanny Tonight!, released by Folkways Information. His function brought him in to the orbit of Langston Hughes as well as other literary and politics giants from the ’50s still left, an undeniable fact that eventually got him blacklisted from many mainstream entertainment outlet stores, in quite similar way that his idol Robeson — getting close to the twilight of his profession in the past due ’50s — was prohibited from the majority of those same shops. Bibb’s wealthy baritone tone of voice was too effective to overlook, nevertheless, and he do effectively amass some main credits in the past due ’50s, sometimes beneath the name Lee Charles. His past due-’50s credits are the Broadway creation of Kurt Weill’s Shed within the Stars in addition to many recordings under that name; and he also made an appearance as an associate from the Skifflers, in tandem with folk music story Milt Okun. Pursuing an acclaimed appearance in the Newport Folk Event in 1959, he was authorized to Vanguard Information (that was currently a haven for blacklistees such as for example Robeson as well as the Weavers), by which he documented a brace of LPs and also got a single launch (a rarity for the label) of “Stones and Gravel” b/w “Goodnight Irene.” By the first ’60s, Bibb was producing information for Elektra, Columbia, and Liberty, but at that time the folk music revival experienced crested, and he was progressively playing to some smaller sized — but a lot more severe — audience because the 10 years used on. His middle-’60s information included participation within the Verve Folkways double-LP established African-American Poetry Theater: A Hands Is over the Gate. Bibb afterwards transferred to RCA-Victor, where features of his function included the record Foment, Ferment, Totally free…Free of charge (1969). He transferred to Canada in 1971, and continued to be even more mixed up in decades which have implemented, both with documenting — his repertory growing to encompass songwriters such as for example Leonard Cohen — and different theatrical productions. He was specifically closely from the musical Jacques Brel following the ’70s, and started carrying out pops concerts using the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and in addition continued to take part in (and organize) productions specialized in the annals of African-American music and lifestyle. In 2002, he and his kid Eric Bibb, at that time a major musician in his very own correct, released the duo record A FAMILY GROUP Affair. Leon Bibb passed away in Vancouver in Oct 2015 at age 93.