Leon Bibb

Who is Leon Bibb?

Leon Bibb is an American folk singer and actor who grew up in Kentucky, studied voice in New York, and worked on Broadway. His career began when he became a featured soloist of the Louisville Municipal College glee club as a student. He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada since 1969.

Bibb was born in Louisville, Kentucky and was one of the performers at the first Newport Folk Festival in 1959. He also had his own NBC television talk show. During the late-1950s and early-1960s, Bibb was one of a number of American entertainers, such as his good friend Paul Robeson, who were blacklisted for alleged ties to left-wing groups and causes. In 1963, Bibb traveled to Mississippi to join Dick Gregory and others in the fight against racial segregation in the United States.

Despite that setback, Bibb continued to perform, and around 1963 or '64 he was featured singing on the national TV show, Hootenanny, on The Ed Sullivan Show and performed with Bill Cosby on tours. His a cappella vocals blend his classical, spiritual and blues influences.

He is the father of the Helsinki, Finland based acoustic blues singer/songwriter Eric Bibb.