The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8299 Message #3555156
Posted By: Stringsinger
01-Sep-13 - 05:31 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Rock Island Line
Subject: RE: Rock Island Line
The Weavers popularized the song to a minor degree in concert learning it from Huddie Ledbetter aka Leadbelly. Lonnie Donegan took it from Leadbelly which is fair enough except that he demanded Moe Asch to pay him royalties for it, a presumptuous move on his part. Asch explained that he would be happy to oblige Mr. Donegan by inviting him to come by and Asch would break Leadbelly's records over his head one by one.
I don't think Moe would have done this but the message was clear.