Huddie William Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly, was a legendary American folk and blues musician born in the late 1880s. Renowned for his powerful voice and masterful twelve-string guitar playing, he introduced enduring standards such as "Goodnight, Irene," "Midnight Special," "In the Pines," "Pick a Bale of Cotton," "Cotton Fields," and "Boll Weevil." Although most famous for the twelve-string guitar, he also played piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, and accordion, and often added rhythmic clapping or foot stomping to his performances. Lead Belly’s music spanned folk, blues, and gospel, touching on themes like prison life, racism, work, and love, as well as figures from contemporary news. He was recognized posthumously with inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. While commonly credited as "Leadbelly," the correct spelling is "Lead Belly," as preferred by the artist himself and the Lead Belly Foundation.