Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1896-1987) wrote her well-known song "Freight Train" at the age of 11 and sang it for nearly 80 years. Through her songwriting, her quietly commanding personality, and her unique left-handed guitar and banjo styles, she has inspired and influenced generations of younger artists. Cotten was declared a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1984, and was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as a "living treasure." She received a Grammy Award in 1985 when she was 90. These essential 1965-66 recordi… read more
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1896-1987) wrote her well-known song "Freight Train" at the age of 11 and sang it for nearly 80 years. … read more
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1896-1987) wrote her well-known song "Freight Train" at the age of 11 and sang it for nearly 80 years. Through her songwriting, her quietly … read more
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter. A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. Her approach involved using a right-handed guitar (usually in standard tuning), not re-strung for left-handed playing, essentially, holding a right-handed guitar upside down. This position required her to play the bass lines with her fingers and the melody with her thumb. Her signature alternating bass style has become known as "Cotten picking". Elizabeth Nevills w… read more
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter. A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed h… read more
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter. A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. Her approach involved u… read more