Background
Bibb was born in Louisville, Kentucky and was one of the performers at the first Newport Folk Festival in 1959.
Bibb was born in Louisville, Kentucky and was one of the performers at the first Newport Folk Festival in 1959.
His career began when he became a featured soloist of the Louisville Municipal College glee club as a student. He lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, after 1969. He also had his own National Broadcasting Company television talk show.
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 1963-1964 he was featured singing on the national television show, Hootenanny, on The Editor Sullivan Show and performed with Bill Cosby on tours. He also provided the soundtrack to Luis Bunuel"s 1960 film The Young One.
His a cappella vocals blend his classical, spiritual and blues influences. At the time of receiving this honor, Bibb was still an active performer.
He died on October 23, 2015.
In 2009, he was made a Member of the Order of British Columbia.