Lead Belly, also spelled Leadbelly, byname of 
Huddie William Ledbetter, (born January 21, 1885?, Jeter Plantation, near Mooringsport, Louisiana, U.S.—died December 6, 1949, New York, New York), American folk-blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose ability to perform a vast repertoire of songs in a variety of styles, in conjunction with his notoriously violent life, made him a legend.