Lesley "Esley" Riddle was an African-American musician whose influence on the Carter Family helped to shape country music.

The Carter Family went on to record a number of songs that Riddle either composed or transmitted, including "Cannonball Blues," "Hello Stranger," "I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome," "Let the Church Roll On," "Bear Creek Blues," "March Winds Goin' Blow My Blues Away" and "Lonesome For You." Riddle's guitar technique made an impression on Maybelle Carter,and she incorporated elements of it into her style.

When collecting songs, A.P. Carter would document the lyrics of a song he liked, and it was Riddle’s job to remember the music. Essentially, Riddle would act as a human tape recorder and memorize the melody of the songs while Carter wrote the words of the song in his notebook.

While The Carter Family was inducted in 1970 to this day Lesley Riddle has been excluded. By not recognizing his contributions to country music, The Country Music Hall of Fame is not only re-writing history but also failing to recognize African-Americans' impact on country music from the very beginning.

Tell The Country Music Hall of Fame to right this wrong and induct Lesley Riddle NOW!

Here's a good piece on more about Lesley's story