Here's How to Watch Libba Cotten's Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Carrboro native Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 5. The entire ceremony, which features the inductions of Dolly Parton, Eminem and Lionel Richie among others, can be viewed on HBO Max here. The section honoring Cotten begins at 1:11:49.

“The way she plays that guitar, it’s like she was born with it,” said Grammy-winning guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. “You’ve gotta realize this is one person when you hear these records. She’s playing bass line. She’s playing rhythm. She’s playing leads, all at the same time.”

The video tribute to Cotten features several of her most well-known songs, including “Freight Train,” which she wrote when she was 12 years old. Many well-known artists have since covered “Freight Train,” including Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Jerry Garcia.

Greensboro native and Grammy winner Rhiannon Giddens, who is currently holding a research residency with Carolina Performing Arts, called Cotten “a genius.” Like Cotten, Giddens also played with the Seeger family.

Cotten was born in what is now Carrboro in 1893. She began composing music during her childhood and quickly became proficient with both the guitar and banjo. Her finger-plucking technique eventually developed its own name: “Cotten style.” Cotten, who was left-handed, learned both instruments upside-down, making her sound unique among blues music.

It wasn’t until Cotten was in her 60s that she began to officially record her music. It began by pure chance: Cotten was working as a nanny and maid for the Seeger family when they heard her play and recognized her talent. One of the Seeger children produced Cotten’s first LP record.

Cotten was declared a National Heritage Fellow during her later years, and the Smithsonian Institution recognized her as a “living treasure.” Cotten won her first-ever Grammy at age 90, before passing away in 1987.

Cotten is memorialized in Carrboro with a mural at 111 North Merritt Mill Road, and a bikeway through town is named in her honor.

Thursday, January 5 will be the 130th anniversary of Cotten’s birth. Carrboro mayor Damon Seils has officially proclaimed the day as “Libba Cotten Day.” Information about various celebrations can be found here.

Featured image via Michael G. Parker

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Here’s How to Watch Libba Cotten’s Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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