Turnin' a Blind Eye

West of the Delta there’s a pretty big patch of land that’s know for a few things. It only has room for one star, but plenty of space for ten gallon hats. And, love it or hate it, you have to give it props for two things: (1) the Alamo and (2) being the birthplace of Texas Blues, fathered by none other than Blind Lemon Jefferson.

All the ladies wanna squeeze my lemon.

Jefferson was born near Coutchman, Texas in September of either 1893 or 1894--depending on whether you ask his mother or his draft card. As his moniker suggests, he was blind from birth but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most influential blues musicians of the early 20th century.

He took up the guitar in his early teens and spent most of his time during those years as a street musician. He played in some pretty dodgy places in those formative years and, while he couldn’t actually see them, he internalized them and they served as inspiration for much of his music.

Around 1910 or so, Jefferson made his way to Dallas where he became an integral part of the Deep Ellum blues scene. There, he took up with fellow bluesman Leadbelly and learned a thing or two before he himself became the teacher. His devoted pupil was none other than the legend T-Bone Walker. Walker received guitar lessons in exchange for being Blind Jefferson’s guide around the city--not a bad deal, all things considered.

Jefferson’s comparatively high-pitched voice set him apart from the other forebearers, as did his guitar style. While some tunes adhered to the traditional, repetitive blues technique we’ve become familiar with, others threw out the concept of repetition almost entirely. A few more rhythm driven ones even had accompanying dances that went with them which is well, very Texan:


He also had a tendency to favor single note runs, which would later turn out to be pretty characteristic of Texas blues.

Again unlike many of the forebearers, Jefferson enjoyed quite a bit of commercial success in his time. His recordings for Paramount did well in sales and in the eyes of the critics. While his first recordings were Gospel tunes--somewhat uncharacteristic for someone who was otherwise regarded mostly as a poet of the people--recorded under the pseudonym Deacon L. J Bates, his first hits, “Booster Blues” and “Dry Southern Blues,” were under his own name. Another well known one was “I got the blues":

Not quite

More like this:


While not much survived in terms of photographic evidence, Jefferson’s legacy lives on in both his recordings and the recordings of those he influenced. Chief among them, T-bone Walker, Canned Heat, the Beatles, and what Texas blues would eventually become: