Valerie June - "Irene (Goodnight Irene)" [Live at the Kennedy Center | April 2015]

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Valerie June - "Irene (Goodnight Irene)" [Live at the Kennedy Center | April 2015]

In April 2015, breakout artist Valerie June performed at the Kennedy Center as part of an all-star line-up for the Lead Belly at 125 tribute concert honoring the great American songster Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter. In a rehearsal space the day before, she interpreted the American folk standard "Irene (Goodnight, Irene)," a signature song that is included in the new box set 'Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection.' June curated a set of Southern songs for this month’s People’s Picks playlist, the third of a monthly playlist series curated by musicians and friends of Smithsonian Folkways: http://www.folkways.si.edu/peoples-picks-a-southern-songs-playlist-by-valerie-june/music/playlist/smithsonian 'Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection' available on CD Box Set and Digital. Stream/download/purchase: Smithsonian Folkways: http://www.folkways.si.edu/leadbelly Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6X1f7MHfF9JIk33D0xhPmK?si=Zx3nkGrzSLyN2GPjyDDuZg The Kennedy Center, in collaboration with the GRAMMY Museum®, hosted “Lead Belly at 125: A Tribute to an American Songster in Washington" on April 25, 2015 for the 125th anniversary of Lead Belly's birth. This one night-only event celebrated his artistry and lasting influence, with many of today’s top folk and blues artists performing his well-known classics. It followed Smithsonian Folkways' release of the first career-spanning box set dedicated to the American music icon, 'Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection.' Lead Belly: http://www.leadbelly.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadBellyOfficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadbellyblues Valerie June: http://valeriejune.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valeriejunemusic Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheValerieJune Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevaleriejune Smithsonian Folkways: https://folkways.si.edu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smithsonianfolkwaysrecordings Twitter: https://twitter.com/Folkways Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithsonianfolkways The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.

3 min 24 sec

music folk "Woody Guthrie" "Pete Seeger" Smithsonian Folkways old-time non-profit