Question 1

True or false: Leadbelly was actually a nickname; his real name was Huddie William Ledbetter.

Accepted Answer

True. Huddie William Ledbetter performed under the stage name Lead Belly, later commonly spelled Leadbelly.

Question 2

True or false: Leadbelly wrote the song 'Goodnight, Irene,' but it was first recorded by a different artist.

Accepted Answer

False. Leadbelly wrote and first recorded 'Goodnight, Irene' in 1933; it became a massive hit for The Weavers in 1950.

Question 3

True or false: Leadbelly invented the twelve-string guitar specifically for blues music.

Accepted Answer

False. The twelve-string guitar existed long before Leadbelly, but he popularized it in folk and blues music.

Question 4

True or false: Leadbelly’s song 'The Midnight Special' was based on a train that ran past a prison in Texas.

Accepted Answer

True. The song refers to a train whose headlight supposedly signaled freedom to inmates at Sugar Land Prison in Texas.

Question 5

True or false: Leadbelly served time in prison twice, both times for murder.

Accepted Answer

True. He was convicted of murder in 1918 and again in 1930, though the second charge was later reduced to assault.

Question 6

True or false: Leadbelly was a classically trained pianist before switching to guitar.

Accepted Answer

False. Leadbelly was largely self-taught on guitar and accordion; he never received formal classical training.

Question 7

True or false: Leadbelly recorded over 500 songs for the Library of Congress with folklorist John Lomax.

Accepted Answer

True. Between 1933 and 1940, Lomax recorded Leadbelly for the Library of Congress, preserving hundreds of folk songs.

Question 8

True or false: Leadbelly performed at the White House for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939.

Accepted Answer

False. He never performed at the White House; a 1939 concert invitation fell through due to his criminal record.

Leadbelly Trivia Questions