Etta Baker was a seminal figure in the Piedmont blues genre, renown for her mastery of the fingerpicking guitar style that characterizes the music of the Southeastern United States. Born Etta Lucille Reid in 1913 in Caldwell County, North Carolina, her musical journey began under the guidance of her father, who taught her melodies that echoed the region's blend of African-American blues with white country tunes. Throughout her life, Baker worked as a domestic helper and in factories, keeping her musical gift largely within the confines of her family and local community.

Her talent, however, was not to remain hidden. Etta Baker’s dexterity on the strings came to wider public attention in 1956 when folk singer Paul Clayton recorded her playing several tunes, among them "Carolina Breakdown." Her pure and refined technique in the Piedmont style was finally captured on her first album, "One-Dime Blues," released in 1991 when she was already in her late seventies. Despite her late start in the recording industry, Baker continued to share her music on albums like "Railroad Bill," enchanting audiences with her lyrical playing and earning her a revered place in American folk and blues music history. She passed away in 2006, leaving behind a legacy of influence that continues to inspire guitarists and lovers of traditional American music.