Huddie "LEAD BELLY" Ledbetter (1889-1949) was an American folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals and virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar.

The folk standards he introduced included his renditions of "In the Pines", "Pick a Bale of Cotton", "Goodnight, Irene", "Midnight Special", "Cotton Fields", and "Boll Weevil". (Wikipedia)

LEAD BELLY was born in the northwest Louisiana town of Mooringsport along Caddo Lake. His early musical career was refined in Shreveport down in "The Bottoms" - an area that once harbored the city's red light district.

Eras later, this same neighborhood was renamed Ledbetter Heights. This location at the borders of Allendale and Downtown Shreveport is also the present site of G-Unit Studios, a modern, global entertainment complex being envisioned and invested in by music mogul @50 Cents and his team.

Generations apart, a lighting-storm of talent strikes again in Shreveport, down in The Bottoms! ⚡️⚡️☄️⚡️⚡️ Ain't that auspicious.

Born a country boy from a proud cotton-farming family, Ledbetter lived an adventuresome, near-death defying, charismatic life. His exploits carried him from deep south jook joints, through two incarcerations, to national stages and becoming a household name --- for generations!

PUT BIG RESPECT ON HIS NAME!

THE LEGENDARY LEAD BELLY!