Elizabeth Cotten was a self-taught blues and folk musician, singer and songwriter.
born January 5, 1893 in Carrboro, North Carolina
died June 29, 1987 in Syracuse, New York (Aged 94)
She developed her own style of playing left-handed by holding a normally tuned guitar upside down so she played the melodies with her thumb and the bass lines with her fingers. Her style of playing became known as "Cotten picking".
Cotten wrote most of her music in her early teens and earlier (she wrote "Freight Train" at age 13). After marrying at 17 and getting work as a maid she stopped playing music for 40 years. It wasn't until she was working as a maid for Charles Seeger, an avid music lover, that she taught how to play the guitar.
In the 1950s Mike Seeger began to record Cotten on reel to reel tape. In 1960 she began to play live for the first time, her first show was with Mike Seeger and she went on to perform with musicians such as Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and many others. Because of the positive reaction Cotten received, she began to write again and with her new material and her standards she continued to tour and record into the 1980s. In 1984 she won the Grammy "Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording" for the album [r1624829].
2013
KBOO, KBOO
7"
2005
Shanachie
DVD-V
2004
Vestapol Productions
DVD-V
2002
Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop
DVD
1992
1991
Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop
VHS, NTSC
1986
1983
1979
1979
1968
Vanguard, Vanguard
LP
1967
1958
2025
Timezone Records
CD, Album
2025
2024
Not On Label (Andy McLeod Self-released)
CDr, MiniAlbum
2024
2024
2024
2023
ABKCO
2xLP, RSD, Comp, Ltd, Ora
2023
2023
2022
Stony Plain Records
CD, Album
2022
2021
Not On Label (Pantaleimon Self-released)
File, WAV, Single
2021
Not On Label (Shaun Lee (5) Self-released)
15xFile, MP3, Album, 320
2021
Earth Tone Records
LP, Album, Ltd, Bro
2021
Förfallet Records
LP, Album
2020
Not On Label (Wooden Wand Self-released)
13xFile, FLAC, Comp
2020
Ring Me Records
Cass, Album
2020
Round Records (3)
CD, Promo
2020
Not On Label
CDr, Album
2020
GoldTone Records
CD, Album
2020
Kikorirecords
Cass, Album
2020
2020
2020
2020
2019
Round Records (3), ATO Records
CD, Album, Ltd
2019
Not On Label
9xFile, MP3, Album, 320
2019
Not On Label (Alex Homan Self-released)
8xFile, MP3, VBR
2019
2019
2019
2018
Feeding Tube Records
LP, Album, Ltd
2018
Not On Label
CDr, Album
2018
Transistor 66
LP, Album
2018
Arabica Records
CD, Album
2018
2017
Smithsonian Folkways
CD, Comp
2017
GMO - The Label
CD, Album
2017
2017
2017
2016
Second Harmonic
CDr, Album
2016
Not On Label (The Duck Downpickers Self-released)
CDr, Album
2016
2015
Valitut Palat
3xCD, Comp
2015
Not On Label (Jaanus Nõgisto Self-released), Not On Label (Tõnu Timm Self-released)
CD, Album
2015
Folkadelphia
17xFile, MP3, Comp, 320
2015
YTF(r)ecords
CD
2015
Enja Records, Yellowbird
CD, Album
2015
2015
2015
2014
Not On Label
CDr, Album
2014
Not On Label (Milo Jones (2) Self-released)
File, MP3, 320
2014
Not On Label (Frankie & Jimmy Self-released)
LP, Album
2013
Valitut Palat
4xCD, Comp
2013
Nation Music
CD, Album
2013
2012
Hell's Bells Records
CD, Album
2012
Maya And The Ruins Music
CD, Album
2011
Salisbury Street Recordings
CD, Album
2011
Dady Brothers Music
CD, Comp
2011
Scuffletown Records
CD, Album
2011
Not On Label (Roxanne Wilde Self-released)
CD
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2010
Grappa
CD, Album
2010
Sveriges Radio
CD, Album
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2009
4AD
CD, EP, Ltd
2009
Tuxedo Records (4), Tuxedo Records (4)
CD, Album
2009
Hoo-Doo Records, Buffalo Records (7)
CD, Album
2009
Mirabilis Records (2)
CD, Album
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2008
Hush Records
CD, EP
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