etta baker (1913-2006)
etta baker (1913-2006)
Embedded Files
Biography
Biography
Etta Baker stands as one of the foremost figures in Piedmont blues, her artistry inspiring countless musicians, including myself. After discovering her song “Carolina Breakdown,” a tune she learned from her father Boone Reid (Bengal, 2018), I felt an immediate connection to her music. Since then, I have taught myself to play “Carolina Breakdown,” “Mint Julep,” and “Dew Drop,” finding endless inspiration in her music. Over her 90 years of playing guitar, Baker influenced not only “SisterFans” like myself, but also legendary artists like Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell. My hope in embarking on this project is that many more people will come to know and love the music of this outstanding guitarist who truly was, and remains, an inspiration.
Early Life & Musical Influences
Early Life & Musical Influences
Born Etta Lucille Reid on March 31, 1913, in Caldwell County, North Carolina, Baker grew up in a musical household. Her father, Boone Reid, played guitar, banjo, and fiddle, while her mother, Sally Reid, was a harmonica and fiddle player (Bastin, 1986; Pearson, 2005).
Etta Baker’s father taught her how to play guitar when she was not quite three. She recalled in an interview with Tony Olson (1998):
“My daddy taught me how to play—I learned by watching him. He’d take a lot of time to show me where to set my fingers and everything. By the time I was three, I knew the three basic chords. He taught me until I was old enough to hold a guitar by myself. Those were the only lessons I ever had” (p. 93).
The Reids took care to pass down a vibrant musical tradition to the younger generations. Baker’s sister Cora Phillips and her cousin Elizabeth “Babe” Reid also played guitar and banjo, contributing to a family legacy that was featured on the 1978 album Eight-Hand Sets and Holy Steps alongside another Piedmont great, Algia Mae Hinton. As a child, Etta performed at house parties and corn shucking events, growing to become a multi-instrumentalist like her father. She eventually taught herself to play banjo, fiddle, and piano (Pearson, 2005).
“I Knew I Could Fly”
“I Knew I Could Fly”
In 1936, Etta married Lee Baker, a piano player she once played music with at house parties and occasional paid events. They had nine children together, including two sets of twins. To provide for their large family, Lee worked in a furniture factory while Etta worked as a domestic in a textile mill for 25 years (Olson, 1998, p. 94).
Her first recording opportunity came in the 1950s when Lee introduced her to folk singer Paul Clayton, who recorded Etta Baker, Boone Reid, and her brother-in-law for the album Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians. The album included two of her most well-known tunes, “One-dime blues,” which she learned from a friend, and “Railroad bill,” a song she learned from her father (Olson, 1998, p. 94). While the album brought her a degree of recognition, she was not properly compensated until the Music Maker Foundation intervened 50 years later (Calmine, 2024).
During her marriage, Baker wanted to also pursue music, but her husband did not want her to play far from home or at parties in his absence. “He just didn’t want me to be gone away from home,” she explained, ‘and I said, Well, if I mean to make home and stick with the family, I’ve got to listen’ [. . . .] A lot of the times I wanted to go on the road playing my music but it was hard to do that and raise a family, and hold onto my job” (Martin & Williams, 1991).
Etta Baker’s life took a significant turn in the 1970s. After the deaths of her husband and one of her sons, she retired from the textile mill to pursue a professional music career. She became a beloved figure on the folk and blues festival circuit, appearing at events like the 1980 National Folk Festival, Banjo Institute, Merle Watson Memorial, and the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville where she wrote the song “Knoxville Rag” (Olson, 1998). She also appeared on the now out-of-print 1972 compilation album, Music from the Hills of Caldwell County alongside her sister Cora Phillips, brother-in-law Theopolis “The’ Phillips, and Fred and Babe Reid.
Leyla McCalla and Allison Russell penned a beautiful (retrospective) tribute to Etta Baker and the eventual realization of her own agency and freedom.
Remembering a Piedmont Blues and Folk Music Giant
Remembering a Piedmont Blues and Folk Music Giant
In 1991, Etta Baker released her first solo album, One-Dime Blues, at the age of 78 through Rounder Records. She followed this up with the release of her second album Railroad Bill eight years later. Her music represented a unique blend of folk, Piedmont blues, and Appalachian traditions. Her renditions of “Railroad Bill” and “One-Dime Blues” were major influences on a new generation of revival artists that included the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, and Taj Mahal (Mahal, 2007).
Etta Baker received numerous honors, including the National Heritage Fellowship, the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award, Brown-Hudson Folklore Award, John Henry Award, and the North Carolina Award with her sister Cora, and three W.C. Handy Blues Awards nominations. She was inducted into the North Carolina Blues Hall of Fame and commemorated with a historical marker and bronze statue by sculptor Thomas Jay Warren in her hometown of Morganton.
Etta Baker passed away on September 23, 2006, in Morganton, North Carolina at the age of 93. Her legacy lies in her role in preserving and sharing the Piedmont blues tradition. Through her recordings and performances, she helped bring this regional style to wider audiences, contributing to its recognition as an important part of music history and traditions. My hope is that she gets the national recognition that she so rightly deserved.
References
References
Bastin, B. (1986). Red River blues: The blues tradition in the Southeast. University of Illinois Press. https://archive.org/details/redriverblues00bruc/mode/1up
Bengal, R. (2018). That Chord! Oxford American, 103, Winter 2018. https://oxfordamerican.org/magazine/issue-103-winter-2018/that-chord
Calmine, J. (2024, February 15). Etta Baker’s Eternal Beauty. Music Maker Foundation. https://musicmaker.org/stories/etta-bakers-eternal-beauty/
Mahal, T. (2007, Winter). Etta Baker 1913-2006. Sing Out!, 50(4), 199–200.
Martin, W., & Williams, L. (1991). One-dime blues [Liner notes]. Rounder Records. http://archive.org/details/cd_one-dime-blues_etta-baker
Olson, T. (1998). Blue Ridge folklife. University Press of Mississippi. https://archive.org/details/blueridgefolklif0000olso
Pearson, B. L. (2005). Jook right on: Blues stories and blues storytellers (1st ed). University of Tennessee Press. http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip056/2005001327.html
Interactive Timeline
Interactive Timeline
Bibliography
Bibliography
Reference works
Freed, M. (2004). Preliminary bibliography of best-known Black Appalachian musicians. Black Music Research Journal, 24(1), 91. https://doi.org/10.2307/4145501
Helgert, L. (2013). Baker [née Reid], Etta. In Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2223757
Malone, B. C. & University of Mississippi Center for the Study of Southern Culture. (2008). Baker, Etta (1913-2006) blues singer. In Music: The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture (Vol. 12, pp. 172–173). University of North Carolina Press. https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/978447990
North Carolina’s Piedmont blues. (2007). In North Carolina African American History & Culture (pp. 91–92). https://ctcsu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=26076019&site=ehost-live
Books
Bastin, B. (1986). Red River blues: The blues tradition in the Southeast. University of Illinois Press. https://archive.org/details/redriverblues00bruc/mode/1up
Bergey, B. (2018). Folk masters: A portrait of America (1st ed.). Indiana University Press. https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/988165128
Duffy, T. (Ed.). (2004). Etta Baker. In Music makers: Portraits and songs of the roots of America (pp. 18–19). University of North Carolina Press. https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/49627688
Fussell, Fred. 2003. Blue Ridge Music Trails: Finding a Place in the Circle. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.
Fussell, F. (2013). Blue Ridge music trails of North Carolina: A guide to music sites, artists, and traditions of the mountains and foothills. University of North Carolina Press. https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/815758053
Menconi, D. (2020). Step it up and go: The story of North Carolina popular music, from Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk. The University of North Carolina Press. https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/1147901165
Olson, T. (1998). Blue Ridge folklife. University Press of Mississippi. https://archive.org/details/blueridgefolklif0000olso
Pearson, B. L. (2005). Jook right on: Blues stories and blues storytellers (1st edition). University of Tennessee Press. https://archive.org/details/jookrightonblues0000pear
Weissman, D. (2005). Which side are you on? An inside history of the folk music revival in America. Continuum. https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/123240048
Wicker, A. (2008a). Etta Baker: One diming it. In Making notes: Music of the Carolinas. Novello Festival Press. https://trincoll.on.worldcat.org/oclc/191090346
Wilson, E. H. (1983). Hope and dignity: Older Black women of the South. Temple University Press. http://archive.org/details/hopedignityolder00wils
Dissertations & Theses
Matabane, M. I. (2014). Axe to grind: A cultural history of Black women musicians on the acoustic and electric guitar in the United States [Dissertation].
Scholarly Articles
Bengal, R. (2018). That Chord! Oxford American, 103, Winter 2018.https://oxfordamerican.org/magazine/issue-103-winter-2018/that-chord
Cohen, A. M. (1996). The Hands of Blues Guitarists. American Music, 14(4), 455–479. https://doi.org/10.2307/3052303
Levine, N. (1993). She plays blues like a man: Gender bending the country blueswomen. Blues Revue Quarterly, 7, 34–38.
Pearson, B. L. (2003). Appalachian blues. Black Music Research Journal, 23(1/2), 23–51. https://doi.org/10.2307/3593207
Sharpe, B. (1997). Etta Baker—Blues musician. North Carolina Folklore Journal, 44(1 & 2), 7–8.
News & Magazine articles
Associated Press. (2006, September 25). Etta Baker, 93; Blues guitarist influenced ’60s folk revival. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/09/26/etta-baker-93/ceafd93e-e58f-445a-ac98-e835480f162d/
Barksdale, R. (1989). Baker preparing for finger-picking good time at Twin City performance. Winston-Salem Chronicle, 1989/06/22, B1.
Blues festival set for Greensboro. (1991, May 11). The Carolina Times. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83045120/1991-05-11/ed-1/seq-26/
Blues guitarist Etta Baker to perform in Ackland. (1994). The Daily Tar Heel, 1994/12/06, 3.
Celebrate women’s history with North Carolina women who made a mark in music. (2014). The Carolina Times. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83045120/2014-03-08/ed-1/seq-9/
Concert to feature female musicians with deep N.C. roots. (2001). Winston-Salem Chronicle, A10.
Durham festival explores rich blues tradition. (1991). The Daily Tar Heel, 1991/09/26, 15.
Foley, S. (2018). Etta Baker. Guitar Player, 52(8), 38.
Guitarist to play at WPCC. (1975, January 30). The News Herald.
Hats off to WPCC for staging first blues festival. (1995, June 16). News Herald.
Johnson, M. C. (1997, April 19). Etta Baker: Blues music’s matriarch. Greensboro News and Record. https://greensboro.com/etta-baker-blues-musics-matriarch/article_57e729d4-4d59-56e7-8e3f-b124ca62176e.html
Kissil. (1988, February 5). Gospel and blues. The Guilfordian, 5.
L. A. Times Archives. (2006, September 27). Etta Baker, 93; Blues guitarist influenced the revival of American folk music in 1950s. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-sep-27-me-passings27.1-story.html
Lofton, D. (1996). Age can’t slow blues women down. The Carolina Times. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83045120/1996-04-27/ed-1/seq-18/
Mahal, T. (2007, Winter). Etta Baker 1913-2006. Sing Out!, 50(4), 199–200.
Olson, T. (1993, February). North Carolina Blues Part One: Etta Baker: What my daddy gave me. Living Blues, 24(107), 28–39.
Rhythmic road of the Carolina blues. (1989, February 18). The Carolina Times. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83045120/1989-02-18/ed-1/seq-19/
Rowe, J. (2006, September 25). Etta Baker: Homegrown giant of traditional music. Greensboro News and Record. https://greensboro.com/news/columnists/etta-baker-homegrown-giant-of-traditional-music/article_6a860752-0315-5c49-86c0-2ddec96bff42.html
Signorelli, C. (1997). Piedmont blueswoman Etta Baker: One-diming it with the Hands of Time. Sing Out!, 41(4), 34–41.
Shaffer, V. (2018, June). Ten of blues most early influential female guitarists. Guitar Girl Magazine, 1(3). http://www.peachmusic.com/live/images/stories/reviews/180505-Peach-Guitar-Girl-Magazine-vol1-issue3.pdf
Sumner, C. (1986, November 27). Guitarist’s love affair with blues continues. Winston-Salem Chronicle, Page B9.
The Associated Press. (2006a, September 26). Obituary | Inspiring blues guitarist Etta Baker. The Seattle Times. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/obituary-inspiring-blues-guitarist-etta-baker/
The Associated Press. (2006b, September 29). Etta Baker, 93, blues guitarist, dies. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/26/arts/music/26baker.html
Turner, V. (2021, April). Out of the shadows: Undersung women of the blues and their vast contributions to music. Acoustic Guitar, 31–36. https://acousticguitar.com/out-of-the-shadows-undersung-women-of-blues-guitar/
Wadey, P. (206 C.E., September 27). Etta Baker: Mistress of the Piedmont blues. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/etta-baker-417655.html
Williams, L. (1990, April). Etta Baker One Dime Blues. The Old-Time Herald, 2(3), 9–12.
Music Reviews
Druckenmiller, T. (2010, June 22). Etta Baker: Banjo. Sing Out!, 53(4), 130–131.
Etta Baker Railroad Bill: Algia Mae Hinton Honey Babe. (2000). Dirty Linen, 87, 58-.
Isola, G. (1999). Etta Baker: At home with the blues. Guitar Player, 33(11), 41-.
Lightfoot, W. (1982). Etta Baker and Cora Phillips. North Carolina Folklore Journal, 30(2), 110-.
Lightfoot, W. (1995). Review of “Etta Baker: One-Dime Blues.” North Carolina Folklore Journal, 42(1), 123-.
Mrs. Etta Baker, family and friends the tradition years: Traditional music of the Southern Appalachians. (2006). Dirty Linen, 125, 87-.
Tersch, G. V. (2006, March 22). Etta Baker and Cora Phillips: Carolina Breakdown. Sing Out!, 50(1), 116–117.
Thompson, S. R. (2003). Etta Baker: “Railroad Bill.” The Old-Time Herald, 8(6), 34–34.
Unger, L. (1990). Knoxville rag. Old-Time Herald, 2(5), 18.
Selected websites
Calmine, J. (2024, February 15). Etta Baker’s Eternal Beauty. Music Maker Foundation. https://musicmaker.org/stories/etta-bakers-eternal-beauty/
Etta Baker. (n.d.-a). AllMusic. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.allmusic.com/artist/etta-baker-mn0000207759
Etta Baker. (n.d.-b). WBSS Media. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://wbssmedia.com/artists/detail/470
Etta Baker. (2010a). Blueridge Music Hall of Fame. https://wilkesheritagemuseum.com/hall-of-fame/previous-years/2010/etta-baker
Etta Baker. (2010b, August 30). Digital Heritage. https://dh.wcu.edu/index.php/2010/08/30/etta-baker/
Etta Baker. (2024). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Etta_Baker&oldid=1224367766
Etta Baker (1913-2006). (n.d.). Still: The Journal. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://www.stilljournal.net/multimedia-etta-baker.php
Etta Baker, folk artist born. (n.d.). African American Registry. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://aaregistry.org/story/etta-baker-an-original-one-of-the-greatest/
Etta Baker’s Blues. (2021, April 23). Are We There Yet? https://www.awtymusic.com/post/ettabakerblues
Historic Artist: Etta Baker. (n.d.). Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/artist/etta-baker/
Holt, D. (n.d.). Etta Baker. David Holt. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.davidholt.com/mentors/etta-baker/
I’ve Endured: Women in old-time music: - Etta Baker. (n.d.). Women in Old Time Music. Retrieved June 7, 2024, from https://womeninoldtimemusic.com/bios/etta-baker/
Lucas, P. (n.d.). The Etta Baker Project. The Etta Baker Project. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.ettabakerproject.com/
North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. (n.d.). Etta Baker. North Carolina Music Educators Association. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://www.ncmea.net/etta-baker/
North Carolina Newspapers. (n.d.). Digital North Carolina. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://www.digitalnc.org/newspapers/
Pearson, B. L. (2020, February 24). Etta Baker. Contemporary Acoustic Roots & Country Blues. https://www.thecountryblues.com/dr-barry-lee-pearson/etta-baker/
Ross, N. (2017, March 23). Women’s History commentary: Growing up with Etta. Defense Logistics Agency. https://www.dla.mil/About-DLA/News/News-Article-View/Article/1126431/womens-history-commentary-growing-up-with-etta/
Voice Magazine for Women & Birthplace of Country Music. (n.d.). Stories of I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music: Etta Baker—The Birthplace of Country Music. The Birthplace of Country Music. Retrieved June 7, 2024, from https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/stories-of-ive-endured-women-in-old-time-music-etta-baker/
Interviews & performances
Afrilachians; Nikky Finney; Etta Baker; Railroad Workers Season 5 Episode 18. (1999, February 27). [Streaming]. In Kentucky Life. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/video/the-afrilachians-2vz7ur/
Audio cassette 150ac: Etta Baker, Cora Phillips: Interview: Etta Baker. 11/22/89 by Leslie Williams—Morganton, NC., 11/22/1989. (n.d.). State Archives of North Carolina. https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:953733
Audio cassette 375ac: Etta Baker: Interview: Etta Baker 10-19-88 Kimzey Interview., 10/19/1988. (n.d.). State Archives of North Carolina. https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:953735
Audio cassette 376ac: Etta Baker: Etta Baker: Field Recording., undated. (n.d.). State Archives of North Carolina. https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:953736
Audio cassette 377ac: Etta Baker: Etta Baker: Tape 2., undated. (n.d.). State Archives of North Carolina. https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov//solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:953737
Baker, E. (n.d.). Where the Palm Trees Shake at Night: Blues Music from the Florida Folklife Collection [Streaming]. Florida Memory State Library and Archives of Florida. https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/audio/playlists/playlist5.php
Baker, E. (1983, October 28). Steamboat Bill; Railroad Bill; (DLA 45). Appalachian Center Collection, Berea College Southern Appalachian Archives, Digital Library of Appalachia. https://dla.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/berea/id/2469/rec/1
Baker, E. (1989). Performance by Etta Baker at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1989. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 12719). https://appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/21447
Baker, E. (1990). Performances by Etta Baker, Rich Kirby & Juan Tejeda, Ray Hicks at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1990. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 12731). https://appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/21459
Baker, E. (1994). Friday performances at the 1994 Florida Folk Festival (Main Stage) (Tape 6) (Source: S1576, Container 43, D94-6) [Streaming]. Florida Folklife Collection, Florida Memory, State Library and Archives of Florida. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/239611
Baker, E. (1996). Performances by Etta Baker, Ralph Blizard at Seedtime 1996. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 16592). https://appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/21816
Baker, E. (1997). Performances by Blanche Coldiron, Ann & Phil Case, Etta Baker at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1997. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 16600). https://appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/21824
Baker, E., Chapman, O. “Snake,” Bledsoe, T., & Smith, P. D. (1990). Performances by Owen Snake Chapman with Paul David Smith and Tommy Bledsoe; Etta Baker at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1990 [Streaming]. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 12730). https://appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/21458
Baker, E. & Lee Sexton Band. (1991). Etta Baker & Lee Sexton Band—American Festival Concert 4/19/91 Tape 3 [Streaming]. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 12662). https://appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/21407
Baker, E., Reese, N., & Eversole Brothers. (1994). Performances by Eversole Brothers, Nat Reese, Etta Baker at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1994 [Streaming]. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 16577). https://appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/21801
Blues singer Etta Baker performing for students at John E. Ford Elementary School (Source: S1618, Container 2) (n.d.). Florida Memory State Library and Archives of Florida. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/235371
Carolina Camera: Etta Baker. (2008, September 21). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGGWyXnYV7s
City of Morganton Studio (Director). (2015, August 25). Etta L. Baker Memorial Archive Exhibit Dedication [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUIUjzPhF78
David Holt interview: Etta Baker Piedmont blues. (2008, June 1). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYIWaOzbfY8
Etta Baker 09/19/93 Blue Bird Blues Festival PGCC, Largo MD. (2022, October 17). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8x2Vlm8hIs
Etta Baker at Merlefest 2001 (Playing Cripple Creek). (2008, June 15). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asgn8ZgKhwQ
Etta Baker concert at Seedtime 1989. (2022, October 7). [Streaming]. YouTube; Appalshop Archive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JywwEY5l3iQ
Etta Baker Playing Guitar. (2009, June 11). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPf_4Sk_CR8
Etta Baker plays Crow Jane Blues. (2019, January 29). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNvcwOySxcY
Etta Baker Plays Guitar. (2007, September 7). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSfPCVeRnA4
Etta Baker—Piedmont Blues (Carolina Breakdown Lesson). (2022, September 12). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFIoFLZduPI
Etta Baker—Railroad Bill [Performance]. (2022, March 31). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F53pkeca3lk
Florida Folklife Program, & Buchannan, N. (1994). Saturday performances at the 1994 Florida Folk Festival (Old Marble Stage) (Tape 4) (Source: S1576, Container 43, D94-28). Florida Folklife Collection, Florida Memory State Library and Archives of Florida. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/239634
How to play Piedmont Blues with Etta Baker—Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (Crossnote Lesson). (2013, September 15). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtCHroY46pE
Interview with Etta Baker by Emily Herring Wilson, 1979 G-0253 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection #4007 Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (1979). [Streaming]. Southern Oral History Program. https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/sohp/id/19559
Music Maker Foundation (Director). (2010, July 22). A visit with Etta Baker [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rExgg76LKrU
Our State Magazine & UNC-TV (Directors). (2011, February 16). Our State: Etta Baker [Streaming]. In Our State. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPwYJqwUi5w
Performances by Etta Baker & John Jackson at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1997. (1997, May 31). [Streaming]. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 00002923). https://appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/14376
Performances by Etta Baker & John Jackson at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1997. (2021, November 2). [Streaming]. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 00002924). https://www.appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/14377
Performances by Etta Baker and John Jackson at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1997. (1997, May). [Streaming]. Appalshop Archive (Identifier 00002926). https://www.appalshoparchive.org/Detail/objects/14379
Profile: Guitarist Etta Baker. (2005, March 16). In Morning Edition. National Public Radio. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A161915923/UHIC?u=ctstate&sid=bookmark-UHIC&xid=2b9113db
Stone, R. (1994). Etta Baker performing on the Old Marble Stage at the 1994 Florida Folk Festival (Source: S1664, Container 4). Florida Folklife Collection, Florida Memory State Library and Archives of Florida. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/237160
The Fingerpicking Blues of Etta Baker. (n.d.). [DVD]. Homespun. http://www.homespun.com/shop/product/the-fingerpicking-blues-of-etta-baker/
The Fingerpicking Blues of Etta Baker—Browns Boogie. (2013, January 12). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSaHG9-7Mzo
Transcribing Etta Baker. (2016, January 7). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOXzdeOOQWo
Video of the North Georgia Folk Festival, Part 2, Athens, Georgia, 1990 October 6 in Georgia Folklore Collection. (1990, October 6). [Streaming]. Georgia Folklore Collection, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia. https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:ugabma_gfc_gfc-1975
Webber, C. (Director). (2019, June 20). Our Native Daughters—"I Knew I Could Fly" [Behind the Scenes Documentary]. [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asIgRED_Yp0
Documentaries
Banks, L., & Duffy, T. (Directors). (2010). Living the blues [DVD]. Janson Media. https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/20044/
Cecelia Conway and Elva Bishop Video Recording of Etta Baker, 1986 (#20177). (n.d.). [Archive]. University of North Carolina Southern Folk Life Collection (Wilson Library). Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/20177/
Living the Blues (Trailer). (2012, May 1). [Streaming]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmMRcJsOFG8
Massengale, S. (Director). (1989). Step It Up and Go: Blues in the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Center for Public Television. https://www.folkstreams.net/films/step-it-up-and-go
Step it up and go. (2013, October 17). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd6EIqiLRlA
Podcasts & Radio
Blackley, L. (2023, October 8). Sing Me Home: A visit to Etta Baker’s home. Blue Ridge Public Radio. https://www.bpr.org/arts-performance/2023-10-08/sing-me-home-a-visit-to-etta-bakers-home
Down the Road on the Blueridge Music Trails of North Carolina. (2017, May 8). Etta Baker played the Piedmont blues for 90 years. Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. https://www.blueridgemusicnc.com/listen-and-learn/down-the-road/etta-baker/
Druckenmiller, T. (2015, December 2). Podcast: Honoring Etta Baker. Sing Out! https://singout.org/podcast-honoring-etta-bakerepisode-15-49-airing-12-02-15/
North Carolina Arts Council. (2019, February 10). Etta Baker is known for her mastery of the guitar, but every now and then she sang too. North Carolina Arts Council. https://www.ncarts.org/blog/2019/02/10/etta-baker-known-her-mastery-guitar-every-now-and-then-she-sang-too
This Old Porch. (2018, July 9). Down the Road BRMT | Etta Baker Played the Piedmont Blues for 90 Years. WNCW 88.7. https://www.wncw.org/show/this-old-porch/2018-07-09/down-the-road-brmt-etta-baker-played-the-piedmont-blues-for-90-years
Awards & Historical Markers
Armantia. (2006, September 29). Etta Lucille Reid Baker. Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15928258/etta_lucille-baker
Brown-Hudson Folklore Award Recipients. (n.d.). North Carolina Folklore Society. https://brownhudsonfolkloreaward.wordpress.com/
Etta Baker. (n.d.). North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. https://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/inductee-item/etta-baker/
Etta Baker, Blues Music Awards, Traditional Blues Female Artist, 1987—8th Annual Blues Awards, Nominee. (n.d.). Blues Foundation. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://blues.org/awards/
Etta Baker, Blues Music Awards, Traditional Blues Female Artist, 1989—10th Annual Blues Awards, Nominee. (n.d.). Blues Foundation. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://blues.org/awards/
Etta Baker—Railroad Bill, Blues Music Awards, Acoustic Blues Album, 2000—21st W.C. Handy Blues Awards, Nominee. (n.d.). Blues Foundation. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://blues.org/awards/
Etta Baker Memorial. (n.d.). Thomas Jay Warren, Sculptor. https://warrensculpture.com/project/etta-baker-memorial/
Etta Baker Piedmont Blues Guitarist (1913-2006). (n.d.). The Historical Marker Database. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=210389
Etta Baker Sculpture Dedication. (n.d.). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28i93_mCnsA&list=PL42DDOlP8Ly2urrw14sqeN23Uj_RyTYrS&index=7&ab_channel=CityofMorganton
Etta Baker—African American Guitarist. (n.d.). National Endowment for the Arts. https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/etta-baker
Lightfoot, W. E. (1982). Etta Baker and Cora Phillips. North Carolina Folklore Journal, 30(2). https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/north-carolina-folklore-journal-1982-fall-winter-v.30.2/67252?item=69570
North Carolina Awards Committee. (2003). North Carolina Awards [2003]. North Carolina Digital Collections. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/north-carolina-awards-2003/3250797?item=3253938
North Carolina Folk Heritage Award. (n.d.). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Heritage_Award
Archives & Special Collections
Archives & Special Collections
Use the keyword map below to search the archival collections listed here for materials about and related to Etta Baker (Click Image to Enlarge)
"The American Folklife Center (AFC) documents and shares the many expressions of human experience to inspire, revitalize, and perpetuate living cultural traditions."
Materials for Etta Baker can be found in the following collections:
"The Archives of Appalachia is a repository for memories — the written words, images, and sounds that document life in southern Appalachia."
Archival materials for Etta Baker are located in the following collections:
"The Blues Archive at the University of Mississippi acquires and preserves blues and blues-related materials in a variety of formats for scholars and blues fans alike. With thousands of sound recordings, photographs, videos, books, periodicals, newsletters, research collections, memorabilia, and more the Blues Archive houses one of the largest blues collections in the world."
Archival materials for Etta Baker can be found in the following collections within The Blues Archive: Blues Videos Collection
"Collection contains records of the Duke University Union (est. 1954), a student-run organization at Duke University, concerning all manner of operations and events sponsored by the Union. Within the collection are records related to student life at Duke, symposia put on by the Union, and social and academic events sponsored by the Union."
Materials related to Etta Baker's campus visit can be found in the General Records, 1954-2007 files under "Major Attractions: Etta Baker, April 29, 1995" (Box 48).
"Florida Memory is a digital outreach program providing free online access to select archival records from collections housed in the State Library and Archives of Florida. Florida Memory digitizes materials that illuminate the state's history and culture. "
Materials related to Etta Baker include:
Blues Singer Etta Baker Performing for Students at John E. Ford Elementary School
Etta Baker Performing on the Old Marble Stage at the 1994 Florida Folk Festival
Friday Performances at the 1994 Florida Folk Festival (Main Stage) (Tape 6)
Saturday Performances at the 1994 Florida Folk Festival (Old Marble Stage) (Tape 4)
Where the Palm Trees Shake at Night: Blues Music from the Florida Folklife Collection
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library that provides free access to a wide range of materials, including books, audio recordings, images, and websites.
The following digitized copies of the Festival of American Folklife programs include content related to Etta Baker: 1994 Festival of American Folklife
The Joy Bailey Folk Music and Folklore Collection at Oklahoma State University Archives "contains music, lyrics, catalogs, clippings, correspondence, research notes, sound recordings, videos, books newsletters, journals, and photographs used by Jay Bailey, who was interested in blues, bluegrass, folk, country, and banjo music, as well as folklore."
Archival materials for Etta Baker are located in Series X: Musicians, Box 3, under Other Important Personalities.
"This pathfinder provides a compilation of resources available on women musicians performing “folk music” in the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains from the time of early European American settlement in the region through the era preceding WWII."
The collection includes a profile of Etta Baker.
Pathfinder Link: https://collections.library.appstate.edu/research-aids/old-timey-women-musicians-appalachia-1860%E2%80%99s-1942
"The Southern Folklife Collection is an archival resource dedicated to collecting, preserving and disseminating traditional and vernacular music, art, and culture related to the American South."
The following special and archival collections contain materials on Etta Baker:
"Interviews, conducted between 1979 and 1981 by Emily Herring Wilson, for her book Hope and Dignity: Older Black Women of the South. Overall, Wilson interviewed more than forty older black women in North Carolina and selected twenty-seven for inclusion in the publication. The interviewees include gospel singers, midwives, teachers, ministers, college professors, civil rights organizers, artists, and musicians."
Interview with Etta Baker by Emily Herring Wilson, 1979 G-0253.
"The 'Southways' audio recordings consist of reel-to-reel and cassette tapes of 'Southways' programs. Besides [. . .] topical shows, 'Southways' also featured profiles of intriguing southerners [including] [,. . .] Etta Baker, the 'Queen' of the Piedmont blues."
Finding aid: https://archives.libraries.emory.edu/repositories/7/resources/3407
"The State Archives of North Carolina collects, preserves, and provides public access to historically significant archival materials relating to North Carolina."
Archival materials on Etta Baker can be found in the following collection:
Arts Council Record Group – Folklife Section (see resource and projects files).
Photo collections
Photo collections
Copyrighted Images Require Permission for Use
Baker in 2003, Government & Heritage Library, State Library of NC, CC BY 2.0
Music
Music
Tradition Records (TLP 1007). Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo. Released 1956. View Liner Notes and Archives
Tradition Records (TCD 1061). Format: CD. Released 1997. View Liner Notes
Fuel 2000 (302 061 155 2). Format: CD, Album, Reissue. Released 2001 under title "Appalachian Breakdown." View Liner Notes
Empire Musicwerks (645 450 808-2). Format: CD, Reissue, Remastered. Released Feb. 14, 2006. View Images
Physical Records (PR 12-001). Format: Vinyl, LP, Album. Released 1975. View Liner Notes
Rounder (CD 2112). Format: CD. Released 1991. View Liner Notes
Smithsonian Folkways (SF CD 40079). Format: CD, Compilation. Released 1998. View Liner Notes
Cello Studios (91006-2). Format: CD. Released 1999. View Liner Notes
Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMCD32). Format: CD, Compilation. Released 2003. View Images
DixieFrog (DFGCD 8649). Format: 2 x CD, Compilation, Digipack. Released 2008 (France). View Images
Music Maker Relief Foundation (mmc 050). Format: CD. Released 2004. View Liner Notes
Ruf records (RUF 1110)(RCD 10322). Format: CD, Compilation. Released Oct. 25, 2005. View Liner Notes
Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMCD-56). Format: CD, Album. Released 2006. View Images
Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMCD 166-1). Format: CD, Compilation. Released 2014. View Liner Notes
Lessons
Traditional and Contemporary Finger-Picking Styles for Guitar
Featuring Elizabeth Cotten, Etta Baker, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson, John Fahey, Mike Seeger, and more.
Finger-picking Styles for Guitar
Featuring Elizabeth Cotten, Etta Baker, Mississippi John Hurt, Sam McGee, Merle Travis, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Pete Seeger, and more.
Learn Crow Jane, Never Let Your Deal Go Down, and Who's Going Home with You
Learn Knoxville Rag (July-Aug 1993)
Learn Railroad Bill (Feb 2007)
Curated Playlist & Other Ways to Listen:
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