Elizabeth ‘Libba’ Cotten (1895-1987), best known for her timeless song Freight
Train, built her musical legacy on a firm foundation of late 19th- and
early 20th-century African-American instrumental traditions. Through her song
writing, her quietly commanding personality, and her unique left-handed guitar
and banjo styles, she inspired and influenced generations of younger artists.
Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Libba Cotten taught herself how to play
the banjo and guitar at an early age. Eventually she saved up the
$3.75 required to purchase a Stella guitar.
Elizabeth continued to tour and perform right up to the end of her
life. Her last concert was one that folk legend Odetta put together for her in
New York City in the spring of 1987, shortly before her death.
Elizabeth’s
legacy lives on not only in her own recordings, but also in the many artists
who continue to play her works, Freight Train continues as a well-loved and
recorded tune played by Mike Seeger, Taj Mahal, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, and our very good friend, Chas
McDevit, a skiffle version, to name but a few. Libba's recordings, concert
tours, media acclaim, and major awards are a testament to her genius, but the
true measure of her legacy lies with the tens of thousands of guitarists who
cherish her songs as a favourite part of their repertoires, preserving and
keeping alive her unique musical style.
