Odetta Holmes was born in Birmingham and grew up in Los Angeles. After an early career in regional musical theater, she became one of the most important figures in the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, beginning with performances at the Blue Angel in New York City and the hungry i in San Francisco. Her fans included Bob Dylan, Harry Belafonte, and Rosa Parks. Martin Luther King once called her "the Queen of American Folk Music." There is a big surprise in the update at the bottom of the post.
UPDATE: Odetta starring in an episode of "Have Gun Will Travel" (h/t Cory Franklin)