Birmingham, Alabama (December 31, 1930- December 2, 2008) 77 yrs

Odetta Holmes, known simply as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, and civil & human rights activist whose rich repertoire of folk, blues, and spirituals earned her the title “The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement.” Active from the 1940s to 2008, she influenced Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Janis Joplin, performed at the 1963 March on Washington, and received honors such as the National Medal of Arts and a Library of Congress Living Legend Award. In 2007, her album ‘Gonna’ Let It Shine’ was nominated for a Grammy, and she completed a major Fall Concert Tour in the “Songs of Spirit” show, which included artists from all over the world. She toured around North America in late 2006 and early 2007 to support this CD. On January 21, 2008, Odetta was the keynote speaker at San Diego’s Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration, followed by concert performances in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and Mill Valley.