Odetta has left us. It is hard to find the words at this time. When I started doing radio back in the late 1970’s, Odetta was one of the first artists that I had the honor of interviewing. To be in her presence was an experience I will never forget. The last time I saw her was in Montreal a few years ago at the Folk Alliance Conference. Even though she was in a wheelchair, her powerful presence was still overwhelming. All of us have been lucky to have witnessed her extraordinary ability to reach people with music. Today we mourn her passing, but her music and spirit will never leave us.

This Sunday, I will pay tribute to edit with a special 3 hour broadcast on WFDU-FM. Joining me will be former WFDU program host Shirley Keller. Shirley Keller was a friend of Odetta’s for many years and will share her stories and memories as well as rare recordings from the WFDU archives. The program will air from 3 to 6pm on WFDU-FM, 89.1FM and streaming live on the internet at www.wfdu.fm .

Below is a note from Doug Yeager –

Dear Family and Friends of Odetta,

The Grand Lady Odetta passed this evening at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. For more than a decade she fought the brave fight with chronic heart disease and pulmonary fibrosis in her lungs. The tribute concert in her honor on March 24, 2007 in Washington was supposed to be her swan song. At the time, her doctors said she could never leave her bed with oxygen for the remainder of her life. However, she got out of that bed and went on to give dozens of concerts around the world since that time. Just seven weeks ago, she performed before tens of thousands of fans at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park with Emily Lou Harris, Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett and Wavy Gravy sitting mesmerized below her at the stage. Even though she had been getting weaker through the month she refused to cancel any of her upcoming concerts. However, on October 31st, after returning from concerts in Toronto she entered the hospital for tests. The next day she went into kidney failure. For the next three and one half weeks she battled on — at all times lucid, and determined to sing at Obama’s Inauguration. She went into cardiac arrest this evening. Her old heart just couldn’t fight any more. Her spirit, her will and her determination were greater than anyone I had ever known. I don’t think Joe Louis could have lasted one round with Odetta!

Eighteen months ago, Odetta and I were invited to the publisher’s office of the New York Times to give her oral history obituary. The arrangement with them was that we would not tell anyone about the oral history obituary, that they would be the first to publish her obituary, and that the readers’ could then view the oral obit Odetta gave by clicking on the New York Times website. Because I didn’t get back from the hospital after Odetta’s transition until 10:00 pm tonight and wasn’t able to speak to Tim Weiner, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who interviewed her until 10:45 pm, I don’t think it will be making the front page, but has been given royal treatment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/arts/music/03odetta.html?hp

May Odetta’s luminous spirit and volcanic voice from the heavens live on for the ages. Her illustrious seven decade career has come to end, but her voice will never die. Though I know she will always be with me, I will be missing her. . .

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that for more than 3 1/2 years, many of Odetta’s massive hospital bills and even her house mortgage was maintained by the Jazz Foundation of America. If you would like to make a donation to this wonderful organization so that they can help other artists in need for the future, please contact: www.jazzfoundation.org

Love to Odetta,

Doug

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