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Happy Birthday, Huddie!

January 20, 2024, 9:00 pm

Huddie Ledbetter and Martha Promise Ledbetter, 1935 (Photo: Library of Congress Lomax Collection, PD)

A salute to Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, born January 20, 1888. Today, ninety years after recording “The Midnight Special” at Angola Prison, his vibrant songs still ring loud and clear.

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Meet the Host

Marilyn Rea Beyer hosted her first concert in junior high as the school band emcee. She got on board The Midnight Special listening to WFMT as a Chicago teenager. She has had careers in arts education, PR and high tech. In 1995, Marilyn became on-air host and music director at Boston’s premiere folk station, WUMB-FM where she was best known for the daily "Live at Noon" show, conducting more than 1,000 artist interviews on the air. She also served on the board of the legendary Club Passim and emcee'd countless concerts in greater Boston. Returning to Chicago, Marilyn joined WFMT in 2020 as host of The Midnight Special and now Folkstage. She says that judicious risk-taking, nurturing artists, falling in love with new music, and engaging with the lively Folkstage audience make the job fun. Marilyn was inducted into the 2023 Folk Alliance International Folk DJ Hall of Fame.

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Happy Birthday, Huddie!