Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll DVD Review

I first became aware of Lead Belly because of a radio program titled "Lightfoot To Lead Belly." I was intrigued by the unusual name, a nickname coming from his surname Ledbetter. Huddie Ledbetter's name and work are known widely in the music world, but somehow the general public is still largely ignorant of the man and his great impact on music. The documentary Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll, which was just released on DVD, should help in changing that, in making folks more aware of the man's incredible contribution to music. At least, I hope it does. The documentary was directed by Curt Hahn, and features interviews with musicians like Odetta, Harry Belafonte, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger, as well as with family members and others who are able to fill in some of the biographical details.

The film opens with a shot of Janis Joplin, who in an interview, is being asked if she recalls the first record she bought. She answers that it was a Lead Belly record. That should be enough to gets folks interested in Lead Belly, right? There then appear on the screen quoted lines from several well-known artists, including Van Morrison and George Harrison, regarding Lead Belly's impact and importance. Pete Seeger, in footage from 1964, demonstrates the 12-string guitar, saying that he learned to play the instrument from Lead Belly and referring to him as the "king of the 12-string guitar." There is, by the way, a compilation of Lead Belly's music titled King Of The 12-String Guitar, and I'm curious who was the first person to call him by that title. As for the title of the documentary, I'm not sure it's accurate to say that Lead Belly invented rock and roll. Certainly, he had enormous influence on some of the folks at the beginning of rock and roll. But those interviewed for the film don't say he invented it outright. Rather, at best it is implied, as in the section about how Lonnie Donegan recorded skiffle versions of Lead Belly's songs, directly influencing The Beatles. In particular, it is the song "Rock Island Line," which became a big song. Lead Belly also had a lot of influence on Jerry Lee Lewis and other early rock and roll stars. But did he invent it? The movie doesn't really say so, apart from its title. Interestingly, this movie is also known under a different titled, Lead Belly: Life, Legend, Legacy.

So what kind of music did Lead Belly play? Mostly, he was considered a folk musician, but there is a wonderful moment in the film where B.B. King mentions how he didn't understand why people called Lead Belly a folk singer rather than a blues singer. Others indicate that he played a little of everything. While his influence on the music world is perhaps his most important contribution and holds great interest for any music lover, his life is equally fascinating. After all, here is a man who sang his way out of prison at least once, and possibly twice (there are conflicting reports about that second time). And he believed it was John Lomax who was responsible for getting him out. The documentary includes lots of great stuff about the relationship between John Lomax and Lead Belly, and includes interviews with members of the Lomax family, as well as old footage of the two of them, some of which is embarrassing and even shocking to watch now.That Life magazine article is particularly shocking, especially its title. Regarding the disintegration of their relationship, it is mentioned that the whole partnership lasted only some six months. Yet, that is an important part of his life. And what a fascinating life he led. There was a movie made about his life. Titled Leadbelly, it came out in 1976, interestingly the same year that the great Woody Guthrie movie Bound For Glory was released. Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly played together. Oh, to have gotten the chance to see that! Some footage from Leadbelly is included in this documentary.

At one point in the documentary, Arlo Guthrie says his earliest memory is standing next to Lead Belly. A little later Arlo has this to say: "What a resource now, to go back and listen to some of those songs. You can find the roots of a lot of music that we hear now. You can find the inspiration for a lot of musicians now." I do hope that people will do just that, go and listen to some of those recordings, and begin to recognize how those recordings have shaped the contemporary music they enjoy. There is quite a bit of music in this documentary, and people will likely recognize most, if not all, of the songs. Songs such as "Rock Island Line," "Midnight Special," "Cotton Fields," and, of course, "Goodnight, Irene." Larry Richmond (of The Richmond Organization) lists some of the artists who have recorded Lead Belly's "Cotton Fields," and those include The Beach Boys, Buckwheat Zydeco, Charley Pride and Johnny Cash. The documentary includes a seriously cool segment where the names of artists who have recorded Lead Belly's material come onto the screen, one after another in quick succession, eventually forming an image of Lead Belly's face. Again, the music world knows Lead Belly. It is time everyone else did.

Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll was released on DVD on April 11, 2025. The DVD includes two different trailers for the film.