Almeda Riddle, born Almeda James on November 21, 1898 in Cleburne County, Arkansas, was an American folk singer who learned music from her father. In October 1959, folklorist John Quincy Wolf introduced Riddle to Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins, who recorded her at home in Heber Springs. This session included songs that reflected Lomax's interest in traditional ballads. In 1964, she released Songs and Ballads of the Ozarks for Vanguard Records, gaining wider recognition during the American folk music revival. Riddle performed extensively at festivals and college campuses from 1962 until ill health prevented further touring in the 1980s. She also co-authored an autobiography titled A Singer and Her Songs with folklorist Roger D. Abrahams in 1970, and released several albums including Ballads and Hymns From the Ozarks (1972) and More Ballads and Hymns from the Ozarks (1976). Riddle received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1983. She died on June 30, 1986.
