Odetta

Biography

Odetta Holmes, known mononymously as Odetta, was a renowned American singer, songwriter, and actress born on December 31, 1930. As "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement", she played a pivotal role in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, influencing icons like Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin. Her powerful voice was championed by civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., who hailed her as the "queen of American folk music".