Leon Redbone

Leon Redbone is one of the most unique performers the last 50 years have produced, and one of the most enigmatic. He burst forth on the Toronto folk scene around 1970, and his appearance at the 1971 Mariposa Folk Festival is apparently the earliest accurate record of him appearing anywhere. As bizarre as his obscure beginnings is his choice of musical material. Redbone has spent nearly 40 years recreating the sounds of old minstrel show and Delta blues performers from the 1920s, doing so with an accuracy that begs more questions than it answers regarding his origins or age.

For an artist who has maintained such a shroud of mystery about himself, it is ironic that he owes a substantial part of his success to television. After making a splash on the folk circuit in the early 70’s which led to his first record deal, his career momentarily floundered before a couple of appearances on a new TV show, Saturday Night Live, brought him back into the national spotlight. His appearances in commercials for products like Budweiser and All detergent in the mid-80s, as well as his performance of the theme song to the sitcom Belvedere, made him a ubiquitous presence in American households, and brought his music to a new generation of listeners. Throughout his career, he has been a singular force in bringing a style and period of music to many people who may not have heard it otherwise.

“Mr. Redbone doesn’t just dig up the past, he embodies it” –Stephen Holden, New York Times

“Singing and playing Jimmie Rodgers’ songs and standards… he neither overtly imitates nor pays self-conscious tribute to his apparent sources, yet manages more than a tip of the hat to both performing methods.” –Paul Nelson, Rolling Stone

• Leon Redbone “Please Don’t Talk About Me”