Elizabeth's Song. This item is unavailable.Elizabeth's Song

Historical-fiction based on the young life of Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten, the noted African American folksinger, who wrote the famous song "Freight Train" when she was just eleven years old.

Elizabeth's Song is the true-life story of Elizabeth (Libba) Cotten, the noted African American folksinger, guitarist, and songwriter. Against all odds, young Elizabeth teaches herself to play guitar left-handed on a borrowed instrument. Eventually, she earns enough money to buy a guitar of her very own, and is then inspired to write her first song--the folk classic "Freight Train," written when she was eleven years old. Elizabeth's unique style of playing guitar (upside down and backwards), from which the term "cotten picking" is derived, has influenced countless other artists. Elizabeth's story is one that will inspire people of all ages.

In addition to my paying gig as CEO of one of the finest small town orchestras in the country, the Walla Walla Symphony, I'm also the author of three books, "Seattle Blues," a novel for teens released March 2009 from WestSide Books, "StringZ," a teen novel released by Westside Books Spring 2010, and  "Elizabeth's Song," a children's picture book published by Beyond Words Publishing in 2003. "Seattle Blues" is a Flamingnet Top Choice Award winner and a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year in the 12 - 14 age category.