Libby Holman - The House of The Rising Sun 1940s

Libby Holman's musical style changed in the 1940s when she teamed up with Josh White and began to study a repertoire of what she would call 'Americana' - namely Blues, Spirituals, and Folk Songs. Actively involved in supporting the Civil Rights Movement, Holman & White were turned away from entertaining the troops overseas during WWII as the USO did not accept 'racially mixed shows.' Instead they went on the road to perform in nightclubs. Libby Holman would eventually self-produce a one woman revue, Blues, Ballads and Sin Songs which she performed in 1954.