elizabeth cotten and brenda evans

Biography

Elizabeth 'Libba' Cotten (née Nevills), born around January 5, 1893, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was a self-taught left-handed guitarist who developed her unique 'Cotten picking' style—playing a right-handed guitar upside down with bass lines on her fingers and melody on her thumb. As a child, she learned banjo and guitar on her brother's instruments, composing her signature song 'Freight Train' at age 11, but left school young to work, married Frank Cotten at 15 or 17, had daughter Lillie, and largely set aside music due to her husband's religious family's disapproval, working as a maid while moving between North Carolina, New York, and Washington, D.C.[1][2][4]

In the 1950s, while employed at a department store, Cotten reunited with music by helping lost child Peggy Seeger find her mother, composer Ruth Crawford Seeger, leading to a housekeeping role in the Seeger family home where she cared for Mike, Peggy, Barbara, and Penny Seeger. Encouraged by the children, she resumed playing in her 50s; Mike Seeger recorded her in 1957, launching her career with the Folkways album Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar. Her 1967 album Shake Sugaree featured vocals by her 12-year-old great-granddaughter Brenda Joyce Evans, who co-wrote the title track with siblings and cousins. Cotten toured, performed until weeks before her death on June 29, 1987, in Syracuse, New York, at age 94, and won a Grammy in 1985 for Elizabeth Cotten Live.[1][4][2]

Cotten's folk and blues style, marked by intricate storytelling lyrics and participatory performances, influenced generations across genres, with 'Freight Train' becoming a folk standard after Peggy Seeger's 1957 European performance; she successfully pursued royalties after hearing it on The Ed Sullivan Show.[2][4]

Fun Facts

• Cotten named herself 'Elizabeth' on her first day of school, as her parents had only called her 'Babe,' 'Sis,' or 'Short' before then.[1]
• She recognized her own song 'Freight Train' on The Ed Sullivan Show performed by others, leading to a 1957 copyright settlement, though she received only a fraction of royalties.[2]
• At her 1985 Grammy acceptance for Elizabeth Cotten Live, she said, 'Thank you. I only wish I had my guitar so I could play a song for you all.'[4]
• Brenda Evans, featured vocalist on Shake Sugaree at age 12, later became a singer with The Undisputed Truth.[4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Ruth Crawford Seeger and Charles Seeger family - Employers and musical household that rediscovered and encouraged her playing in her 50s (Inspired resumption of music leading to 1957 Folkways recordings) [1950s]

Key Collaborators

• Mike Seeger - Recorded her early performances and produced debut album (Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar (1957)) [1957 onward]
• Brenda Joyce Evans - Great-granddaughter who provided vocals on album (Shake Sugaree (1967), co-wrote title track) [1967]
• Peggy Seeger - Family connection; popularized her song (Performed 'Freight Train' in Europe (1957)) [1950s-1960s]

Artists Influenced

• Pete Seeger - Stepson in Seeger household; part of folk revival influenced by her style (The Weavers folk music) [1950s onward]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia