Odetta died yesterday. Here's an obituary from the New York Times.

And here's a very nice interview with and profile of Odetta from 2007 posted on the New York Times web site.

Kim and I were fortunate enough to see and hear Odetta perform a year or two ago in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. She was the definition of class, and she knew how to reel in an audience and take them where she wanted them to go. Her vocal control was amazing, her timing and song selection perfect, and her effect was a total affirmation of life.

I remember her relaying a quote, "People are not afraid of failure. They're afraid of success." She implored her listeners to succeed.

She was never the most famous of singers, yet everyone knew who she was, and she made a difference.