Lesley Riddle facts for kids

Lesley "Esley" Riddle (born June 13, 1905 – died July 13, 1979) was an African American musician. He had a big impact on the famous Carter Family band. His music helped shape the sound of early country music.

Lesley was born in Burnsville, North Carolina, USA. He spent his childhood with his grandparents near Kingsport, Tennessee. This area was close to the Virginia border.

Early Life and Learning Music

When Lesley was a young man, he worked at a cement factory. In August 1927, he had a serious accident. He tripped over a machine called an auger. This accident caused him to lose his right leg below the knee.

While he was getting better, Lesley started playing the guitar. He created his own special way of picking the strings and using a slide. Soon, he was playing with other musicians. These musicians were from Sullivan and Scott counties. Some of them included Steve Tarter, Harry Gay, Brownie McGhee and John Henry Lyons.

Meeting the Carter Family

In December 1928, Riddle met A.P. Carter. A.P. Carter was the person who started the Carter Family country band. The Carter Family was already well-known for their recordings. They had recorded songs at the Bristol Sessions in August 1927.

Riddle started spending his time between Kingsport and the Carter family home. Their home was in Maces Spring, Virginia. Riddle and A.P. Carter went on trips together. They traveled around the area to find new songs. Riddle had an amazing memory for music. He would remember the melody of a song. Meanwhile, Carter would write down the words.

Riddle's Influence on Music

The Carter Family later recorded many songs that Riddle either wrote or shared with them. Some of these songs include "Cannonball Blues" and "Hello Stranger." Other songs were "I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome" and "Let the Church Roll On." They also recorded "Bear Creek Blues," "March Winds Goin' Blow My Blues Away," and "Lonesome For You."

Riddle's unique guitar playing style really impressed Maybelle Carter. She was a member of the Carter Family band. She learned parts of his playing style and added them to her own music.

Later Life and Rediscovery

In 1937, Lesley Riddle got married. In 1942, he moved to Rochester, New York. He soon stopped playing music. In 1945, he even sold his guitar. For the next 20 years, he was not well-known in the music world.

In 1965, a musician named Mike Seeger found Riddle. Seeger had just worked with Maybelle Carter. He convinced Riddle to start recording music again. Over the next 13 years, Riddle and Seeger made many studio recordings. Some of these songs were put together in an album called "Step by Step." This album was released in 1993. Riddle also performed at music events. These included the Smithsonian Folk Festival and the Mariposa Folk Festival.

Lesley Riddle passed away in July 1979 in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1993, a collection of his songs with Mike Seeger was released. It was called Step By Step: Lesley Riddle Meets The Carter Family: Blues, Country & Sacred Songs. The album was released by Rounder Records.

Remembering Lesley Riddle

On July 31, 2009, a play about Riddle's life opened. It showed his time with the Carter Family and his influence on them. The play was called Esley: The Life and Music of Lesley Riddle. It opened at the Parkway Playhouse in Burnsville, North Carolina. This was Riddle's hometown.

The play shared details about his life. It also featured songs played as Riddle would have played them. Then, it showed how the Carter Family played them. In 2015, the Parkway Playhouse brought the play Esley back.

Since 2008, the Traditional Voices Group has held annual RiddleFest Concerts. This group is from North Carolina. Their goal is to help people remember Lesley Riddle and his music.

See also

In Spanish: Lesley Riddle para niños