Voice of the Civil Rights Movement, ODETTA, Dies at 77

MUSIC NEWS - Sad news from NYC, Odetta , the American folk singer with a deep voice that tied together the powerful songs of American folk music and the civil rights movement, died on Tuesday (12/2/08) at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. She was 77. The cause was heart disease, said her manager, Doug Yeager. Three weeks ago she was admitted to the hospital with kidney failure, he said. In spite of failing health that caused her to use a wheelchair, Odetta performed 60 concerts in the last two years, singing for 90 minutes at a time. Her singing ability never diminished, Yeager said. "The power would just come out of her like people wouldn't believe," he said. He added that she had been hoping to sing at Barack Obama's inauguration in January. Odetta is survived by a daughter, Michelle Esrick of New York, and a son, Boots Jaffre, of Fort Collins, CO. She was divorced about 40 years ago and never remarried, her manager said. A memorial service is planned for next month, Yeager said. NYTimes obit, here .

View below clip of ODETTA from 2005 performing House of the Rising Sun -