Dr. King was born January 15, 1929. His birthday is a national holiday in the United States, celebrated on the third Monday of January. This list includes speeches by Dr. King, songs about slavery, songs of the civil rights movement, and folk songs by black Americans.
February is Black History Month.
(Canada re: black pioneers)
Freedom Here \ Maria Dunn \ We Were Good People (2004) \ Self (Distant Whisper Music)
Matt Watroba MLK Playlist 2009
Ben Bedford \ Land Of The Shadows \ Land Of The Shadows \ Hopeful Sky
(about Emmitt Till)
Arlon Bennett\ Be The Change (Acoustic)\ Summer's Voice\ Red Sea
Patty Griffin\ Up to the Mountain\ Children Running Through\ ATO
Jack Kid - Blackjacks
Rachel Bissex\ Letter to Martin\ Light in Dark Places
Ronnie Earl: Alabama Bus
Otis Spann: two cuts about Dr. King on Rars Chicago Blues
"Sail Away" by Randy Newman (among others)
on his album "Sail Away"
Bear It Away 9/15/63 - Kate Campbell - Wandering Strange
Black & White \ EARL ROBINSON \ Songs & Ballads \ Folkways
Blues for Martin Luther King / Otis Spann / Rare Chicago Blues 1962-1968
Bob Dylan: Tell Me That It Isn't True (Nashville Skyline/Columbia)
Carry It On (Gil Turner) / Tom Paxton and Anne Hills / Under American Skies
Crazy in Alabama / Kate Campbell / Visions of Plenty
Dougie MacLean / Slave's Lament / Indigenous
Free At Last / Kim and Reggie Harris
Heidi Muller / Keep that Dream / Matters of the Heart
Joan Baez / Many A Mile To Freedom
Kim & Reggie Harris / No More Auction Block / Steal Away
Pete Seeger / If You Miss Me At The Back of The Bus / We Shall Overcome
Phil Ochs / Too Many Martyrs
Richard Farina (or Joan Baez) / Birmingham Sunday
Rosa / Libby Roderick / If You See A Dream - Turtle Island
Selma / Michael Bowers / Angel on My Shoulder
Sons of the Never Wrong / Set all God's children free / Three Good Reasons
Steal Away: Songs of the Underground Railroad - Appleseed
The Death of Emmett Till \ COULSON, DEAN, MCGUINESS & FLINT \ Lo & Behold \ Sire
When Will I Get to be Called A Man / Black,Brown and White intro/Song
Patty Griffin\ Up to the Mountain (MLK song)\ Children Running Through\ ATO
[lynching]
Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit
Bob Dylan - The Death of Emmett Till
Joan Baez\ Death of Emmett Till\ In Concert, Part 2\ Vanguard
Woody Guthrie - Vigilante Man
Steve Earle - Taneytown
Phil Ochs - Ballad of Medgar Evers
Bob Dylan - A Pawn in their Game
[my favorites]
Anne Feeney / Have You Gone to Jail for Justice?
Ballad of Martin Luther King \ MIKE MILLIS \ Best of Broadside vol 3 \ Smithsonian
Big Bill Broonzy\ Black, Brown and White\ Trouble in Mind
Big Bill Broonzy\ When Will I Get to be Called a Man\ Trouble in Mind
Bob Dylan: "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" ("Live 1975", "Another Side")
Bob Dylan\ Oxford Town\ Freewheelin'
Bob Dylan\ The Death of Emmett Till\ (Mp3)
Dr. King on Violance \ PETE SEEGER & FRIENDS \ Seeds \ Appleseed
Ellis Paul & Vance Gilbert - Citizen of the World - Side of the World - Philo
If You Miss Me from the Back of the Bus / Betsy Mae Fikes / Voices of the Civil Rights Movement (VA)
John McCutcheon\ Stole & Sold From Africa\ Live at Wolf Trap
Lead Belly: "Jim Crow Blues #1" ("Bourgeois Blues", Smithsonian/Folkways)
Norman & Nancy Blake\ Sweet Freedom\ While Passing Along This Way
Pat Humphries\ Bound for Freedom\ Hands\ Appleseed
Paul Robeson\ No More Auction Block\ The Collector's
Pete Seeger / We Shall Overcome
Police Dog Blues / Blind Blake / Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\ I Have a Dream\ In Search of Freedom\ Polygram
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\ Sing For Freedom (VA)
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\ We Shall Overcome\ We Shall Overcome\ SpeechWorks
Some Windows \ DEIDRE MCCALLA \ Playing for Keeps \ Maiden Rock
Sweet Honey in the Rock\ Are There Any Rights I'm Entitled To\ Epon.
Take it from Dr King \ " " " "
We Shall Overcome (speech) / Martin Luther King, Jr. / The Wisdom of King
We Shall Overcome / SNCC Freedom Singers / Voices of the Civil Rights Movement (VA)
[also good]
Jack Kid\ Blackjacks
Letter to Dr Martin L King \ SWEET HONEY IN ROCK \ Live at Carnegie Hall \
Flying Fish (LP)
Richie Havens / The Klan
John Fahey / March! For Martin Luther King (instrumental) / Essential JF
Laura Love / Octoroon / Octoroon
Neal and Leandra / Ready for Memphis / Stranger to My Kin
Tom Paxton\ The Death of Stephen Biko\ Heroes
[not exactly folk]
Harry Belafonte / Abraham, Martin and John
Billie Holiday / Strange Fruit / Lady in Autumn
Liberace / Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream
| Folk Music Song Themes | Last modified | |