Etta Baker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Etta Baker
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Etta Baker in 2003
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Etta Lucille Reid |
| Born | March 31, 1913 |
| Origin | Caldwell County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | September 23, 2006 (aged 93) Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. |
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Etta Baker (born March 31, 1913 – died September 23, 2006) was an amazing American guitarist and singer. She was known for playing a style of music called Piedmont blues. Etta was from North Carolina.
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A Musical Start
Etta was born Etta Lucille Reid in Caldwell County, North Carolina. Her family had different backgrounds, including African-American, Native American, and European-American heritage. Etta started playing the guitar when she was only three years old!
Her father, Boone Reid, taught her everything she knew. He was a great Piedmont blues player himself and could play many instruments. Etta learned to play both the 6-string and 12-string acoustic guitar. She also played the five-string banjo. Etta played the Piedmont blues for almost 90 years!
In 1916, Etta's family moved to Keysville, Virginia. She had seven brothers and sisters, and they all played instruments. Sometimes, Etta, her father, and her sister Cora would play music together at dances on Saturday nights. Etta left school after the tenth grade.
First Recordings
Etta Baker was first recorded in the summer of 1956. This happened by chance! She and her father met a folksinger named Paul Clayton. They were visiting a mansion in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
Etta's father asked Clayton to listen to his daughter play her famous song, "One Dime Blues." Clayton was very impressed. The next day, he came to the Baker house with his tape recorder. He recorded several of Etta's songs.
Clayton recorded five solo guitar pieces by Etta. These songs were put on an album in 1956 called Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians. This album was one of the first times African-American banjo music was sold to the public. Etta did not get paid for these early recordings. Later in her life, she worked with the Music Maker record label. This helped her get the rights back for her music.
Inspiration and Influence
Etta Baker said that she got ideas for her music from her dreams. She described it as "like putting a crossword puzzle together." Her unique style has inspired many famous musicians. These include Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
Etta married Lee Baker, who was a piano player, in 1936. They had nine children together. Etta faced sad times when she lost her husband and one of her children. For a while after these losses, she stopped playing music. But she soon realized she missed the comfort that the blues brought her.
Etta last lived in Morganton, North Carolina. She passed away at the age of 93 in Fairfax, Virginia. She was visiting one of her daughters at the time.
Awards and Honors
Etta Baker received many important awards for her music. These awards recognized her amazing talent and contributions to folk and blues music.
- In 1989, she received the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award.
- In 1991, she won a National Heritage Fellowship. This is a very high honor for folk and traditional artists in the U.S.
- In 2003, she received the North Carolina Award.
She was also nominated for several Blues Music Awards. These awards used to be called the W. C. Handy Blues Awards. She was nominated for:
- Traditional Blues Female Artist in 1987 and 1989.
- Her album Railroad Bill was nominated for Acoustic Album in 2000.
Along with her sister, Cora Phillips, Etta received the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award in 1982. This award was from the North Carolina Folklore Society.
Discography
Here are some of the albums Etta Baker released or was featured on:
- 1956 : Instrumental Music from the Southern Appalachians (Tradition Records; reissued 1997)
- 1991 : One Dime Blues (Rounder)
- 1998 : The North Carolina Banjo Collection, various artists (Rounder)
- 1999 : Railroad Bill (Music Maker)
- 2004 : Etta Baker with Taj Mahal (Music Maker 50)
- 2005 : Carolina Breakdown, with Cora Phillips (Music Maker 56)
- 2006 : Knoxville Rag, with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, issued on CD as 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, with a DVD showing Shepherd and Baker playing guitar in her kitchen (Reprise Records)
- 2009: "Banjo" (Music Maker)
- 2015: "Railroad Bill" Vinyl Reissue (Music Maker)
See also
In Spanish: Etta Baker para niños
