Blind Lemon Jefferson
September 24, 1893 (Assumed) – December 12, 1929 (Assumed)
One thing is known about Blind Lemon Jefferson, that he has been rightfully called the “Father of Texas Blues,” but most else about the man still remains in question. As the story goes, Jefferson, who was blind since birth, began learning the guitar as a young teen, and within a few years, he was performing at local dances and parties. By the time he was in his 20s, he was touring around Texas, hooking up with the likes of Lead Belly and T-Bone Walker whom he reportedly taught how to play the guitar. During the mid ’20s, Jefferson went up to Chicago to make records for the Paramount label and later, Okeh, churning out such blues classics as “Long Lonesome Blues” and “See That My Grave is Kept Clean,” “Black Snake Moan” and “Matchbox Blues.” Other than the records he made, everything else in this post may or may not be true. It seems that as Jefferson’s fame grew, so did tall tales about his life. Date of birth? Speculated. Blind? Probably. Married with child? Not proven. Date and cause of death? On or around December 12, 1929, Blind Lemon Jefferson did in fact, die. The three most likely scenarios are that he became disoriented during a snow storm and suffered a fatal heart attack; he was poisoned by a jealous lover; he froze to death. What HAS been proven, is that he left behind a catalog of over 500 songs that have influenced the likes of Lightnin’ Hopkins, B.B. King, Doc Watson, and the Beatles.
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