About ten years ago I had a chance to interview her after a gig at the Iron Horse in Northampton, Massachusetts, in connection with an article for "Dirty Linen" magazine. Having seen her before but never having met her, I was expecting a formidable presence and possibly a challenging interview, since I got the impression that she didn't suffer fools and I had a fear of making a slipup. This was reinforced by the way she theatrically skewered a guy whose primordial cellphone rang during the show. She abruptly stopped her song, stared at him, and said something like, "We'll all just wait for a moment while you take that call" while the cellphone guy melted into his seat. In fact, she was sweet and gracious and a complete delight to interview. I remember commenting afterward to the club manager about how nice she was. He said she reminded him of his granny.

Rest in peace, Miss Odetta.