From the Prison Cell to the Top of the Charts

Soundcheck | May 3, 2010
Louisiana Bluesman Lead Belly was discovered in a penitentiary in 1934 and went on to become an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and influence many rock stars, from Keith Richards and Jimi Hendrix to Kurt Cobain. The new book Lead Belly: A Life in Pictures, unveils details of his life together with unpublished photographs and letters, much of which was in a basement truck in Brooklyn. Editor John Reynolds joins us to share some of its highlights.

Our blog: John Schaefer on why Lead Belly was more than a blues singer.

Slideshow: View images from "Lead Belly: A Life in Pictures"

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