"Blind" Lemon Jefferson (October 26, 1894 – December 1929) was an influential blues singer and guitarist from Texas. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s. Image File history File links Blind_Lemon_Jefferson. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Coutchman, Texas, sometimes spelled as Couchman, Texas was a town in northern Freestone County, Texas, some 5 miles west of Streetman on farm road 489. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Blues music redirects here. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Blues music redirects here. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... The 1920s they were sexy referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ...

Despite his commercial success, Jefferson stands alone in a category of his own. His musical style was extremely intense and individualistic, bearing little resemblance to the typical Texas blues style of the 1930s. Jefferson's singing and self-accompaniment seemed only loosely connected, and he appeared to improvise his accompaniment. His irregular vocal style and his freely structured field holler rhythms made the tension between his guitar and his voice wildly unpredictable. He was not influential on younger blues singers as they did not seek to imitate him as they did other commercially successful artists.^[1] However, he may have been an important influence on the next generation of blues singers and guitarists, including Lead Belly and Lightnin' Hopkins. For the film, see Leadbelly (film). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Biography

Early life

Jefferson is believed to have been born in the now-defunct town of Coutchman, Texas, near Wortham, the son of Alex and Clarricy (or Clarrisa or Clarisa) Jefferson. It was long believed by most that he was born in 1897 (although some accounts varied the date by up to 10 years), but later research has refuted that date. The 1900 U.S. Census indicates a September 1893 birth, with the family farming southeast of Streetman, Texas.^[2] In 1910, the census gave his birth date as 1894, indicating the family was now farming northwest of Wortham, near where Jefferson was born.^[3] In 1917, he gave his birth date as October 26, 1894, when he registered for the draft, further stating that he currently lived in Dallas, Texas and had been blind from birth.^[4] (The cause of his blindness is unknown.) By 1920, according to census records, he had returned to the Freestone County-Navarro County area where he had grown up, and was living with his half-brother Kit Banks on a farm between Wortham and Streetman.^[5] Coutchman, Texas, sometimes spelled as Couchman, Texas was a town in northern Freestone County, Texas, some 5 miles west of Streetman on farm road 489. ... Wortham is a town located in Freestone County, Texas. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Streetman is a town located in Texas. ...

Where, how, and from whom he learned to play guitar and learned his songs is unknown. Around 1912, he began performing at picnics and parties. He also became a street musician, playing in East Texas towns. According to his cousin, Alec Jefferson, quoted in the notes for Blind Lemon Jefferson, Classic Sides: 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

They was rough. Men was hustling women and selling bootleg and Lemon was singing for them all night... he'd start singing about eight and go on until four in the morning... mostly it would be just him sitting there and playing and singing all night.

By 1917, Jefferson had moved more or less permanently to Dallas, where he is reputed to have met and played with Lead Belly and was one of the early and prominent figures in the notable blues movement developing in Dallas' Deep Ellum area. It is unknown whether Jefferson ever married. It has been suggested that he did marry, and had a son in 1922, but firm evidence is unavailable. Whore redirects here. ... Bootleg liquor is liquor that is sold with disregard to the applicable laws, regulations, and taxes. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Dallas redirects here. ... For the film, see Leadbelly (film). ... The Gypsy Tea Room in Deep Ellum Deep Ellum is an arts and entertainment district near downtown Dallas, Texas (USA). ...

The beginning of the recording career

Unlike many artists who were "discovered" and recorded in their normal venues, in December 1925 or January 1926, he was taken to Chicago, Illinois, to record his first tracks. Uncharacteristically, Jefferson's first two recordings from this session were gospel songs ("I Want to be like Jesus in my Heart" and "All I Want is that Pure Religion"), released under the name Deacon L. J. Bates. This led to a second recording session in March 1926. His first releases under his own name, "Booster Blues" and "Dry Southern Blues," were hits; this led to the release of the other two songs from that session, "Got the Blues" and "Long Lonesome Blues," which became a runaway success, with sales in six figures. He recorded about 100 tracks between 1926 and 1929; 43 records were issued, all but one for Paramount Records. Unfortunately, Paramount Records' studio techniques and quality were infamously bad, and the resulting recordings sound no better than if they had been recorded in a hotel room. In fact, in May 1926, Paramount had Jefferson re-record his hits "Got the Blues" and "Long Lonesome Blues" in the superior facilities at Marsh Laboratories, and subsequent releases used that version. Both versions appear on compilation albums and may be compared. Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A 12-inch record (left), a 7-inch record (right), and a CD (above) Two 7 singles (left), two colored 7 singles (middle), and two 7 singles with large spindle holes (right). ... Paramount Records was a United States based record label, best known for its recordings of African-American jazz and blues. ...

Paramount

Label of a Blind Lemon Jefferson Paramount record from 1926

It was largely due to the popularity of artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson and contemporaries such as Blind Blake and Ma Rainey that Paramount became the leading recording company for the blues in the 1920s.^{[citation needed]} Jefferson's earnings reputedly enabled him to buy a car and employ chauffeurs (although there is debate over the reliability of this as well); he was given a Ford car "worth over $700" by Mayo Williams, Paramount's connection with the black community. This was a frequently seen compensation for recording rights in that market. Jefferson is known to have done an unusual amount of traveling for the time in the American South, which is reflected in the difficulty of pigeonholing his music into one regional category. He sticks to no musical conventions, varying his riffs and rhythm and singing complex and expressive lyrics in a manner exceptional at the time for a "simple country blues singer." According to North Carolina musician Walter Davis, Jefferson played on the streets in Johnson City, Tennessee during the early 1920s at which time Davis and fellow entertainer Clarence Greene learned the art of blues guitar.^[6] Paramount Records label, 1926, Blind Lemon Jefferson The copyright status of this vintage image is undetermined; it may still be copyrighted. ... Paramount Records label, 1926, Blind Lemon Jefferson The copyright status of this vintage image is undetermined; it may still be copyrighted. ... Blind Blake Blind Blake (born Arthur Blake, circa 1893, Jacksonville, Florida; died: circa 1933) was an influential blues singer and guitarist. ... Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey, better known as Ma Rainey (September, 1882 – December 22, 1939), was one of the earliest known professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record. ... Jay Mayo Ink Williams (September 25, 1894 - January 2, 1980) was a pioneering African-American producer of recorded blues music. ... Riff is also an alternate spelling of Rif, a region of Morocco. ... Johnson City is a city in Washington County, Tennessee; however a small part of the city is located within Sullivan County, Tennessee, to the northeast and Carter County, Tennessee, to the southeast. ...

Jefferson was reputedly unhappy with his royalties (although Williams said that Jefferson had a bank account containing as much as $1500). In 1927, when Williams moved to OKeh Records, he took Jefferson with him, and OKeh quickly recorded and released Jefferson's "Matchbox Blues" backed with "Black Snake Moan," which was to be his only OKeh recording, probably because of contractual obligations with Paramount. Jefferson's two songs released on Okeh have considerably better sound quality than on his Paramount records at the time. When he had returned to Paramount a few months later, "Matchbox Blues" had already become such a hit that Paramount re-recorded and released two new versions, under producer Arthur Laibly. Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918; from the late 1920s on was a subsidiary of Columbia Records. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ...

In 1927, Jefferson < math > Insertformulahere < math > Insertformulahere < math > Insertformulahere < math > Insertformulahereё</math></math></math></math>songs, "He Arose from the Dead" and "Where Shall I Be." Of the three, "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" became such a big hit that it was re-recorded and re-released in 1928. Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Stories

As his fame grew, so did the tales regarding his life, often personally involving the teller. T-Bone Walker states that as a boy, he was employed by Jefferson to lead him around the streets of Dallas; he would have been of the appropriate age at the time. A Paramount employee told biographer Orrin Keepnews that Jefferson was a womanizing sloppy drunk; on the other hand, Jefferson's neighbor in Chicago, Romeo Nelson, reports him as being "warm and cordial," and singer Rube Lacy states that Jefferson always refused to play on a Sunday, "even if you give me two hundred." He is claimed to have earned money wrestling before his musical success, which is further claimed as proof that he was not blind at the time (something of a non sequitur). Victoria Spivey elliptically credits Jefferson as someone who "could sure feel his way around." Aaron Thibeaux Walker or T-Bone Walker or Oak Cliff T-Bone (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter who was one of the most important pioneers of electric guitar. ... Orrin Keepnews (born March 2, 1923 in The Bronx, New York City) is an American writer and jazz record producer. ... Iromeio Romeo Nelson (March 12, 1902 - May 17, 1974) was an American boogie woogie pianist. ... Victoria Spivey (died 1976) was an American female blues singer. ...

Death and grave

Jefferson died in Chicago in December 1929. The cause of death is unknown, and though rumors swirled that a jealous lover poisoned his coffee, a more likely scenario is that he died due to a heart attack after being disoriented during a snowstorm (another scenario is that he froze to death). Paramount Records paid for the return of his body to Texas by train, accompanied by pianist Will Ezell. Jefferson was buried at Wortham Negro Cemetery (now Wortham Black Cemetery). Far from his grave being kept clean, it was unmarked until 1967, when a Texas Historical Marker was erected in the general area of his plot, the precise location being unknown. By 1996, the cemetery and marker were in poor condition, but a new granite headstone was erected in 1997. In 2007 the cemetery's name was changed to Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery and keeping his wishes his gravesite is being kept clean by a cemetery committee in Wortham Texas.^{[citation needed]} Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

Music and influence

Jefferson had an intricate and fast style of guitar playing and a particularly high-pitched voice. He was a founder of the Texas blues sound and an important influence on the next generation of blues singers and guitarists, including Lead Belly and Lightnin' Hopkins. The white North Carolina performer Arthel "Doc" Watson credited listening to Jefferson's recordings as his first exposure to the blues, which would powerfully influence his own style. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the film, see Leadbelly (film). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Doc Watson Merle Watson, c. ...

He was the author of many tunes covered by later musicians, including the classic "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean." Another of his tunes, "Matchbox Blues," was recorded more than 30 years later by the Beatles, albeit in a rockabilly version credited to Carl Perkins, who himself did not credit Jefferson on his 1955 recording. Given this influence, it is unfortunate that many of the details of his life remain shrouded in mystery, perhaps forever; even the only known picture of him, shown here, is heavily retouched, with a fake tie painted in by hand. However, at the time, "race music" and its white cousin, "hillbilly music," were not considered to be worthy of consideration as art, rather as a low-cost product to be sold and soon forgotten. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean is a classic blues song written by Blind Lemon Jefferson. ... Matchbox is a rockabilly song credited to Carl Perkins and first recorded by the artist at Sun Records in 1957. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... For other persons named Carl Perkins, see Carl Perkins (disambiguation). ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... African American music (also called black music, formerly known as race music) is an umbrella term given to a range of musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. ... Old-time music, a traditional style of American music, has roots in Irish, Scottish and African folk music. ...

Tributes

• Blind Lemon Jefferson is the featured musician on a State of Texas license plate.
• The White Stripes did a cover of Jefferson's "Boll Weevil Blues", calling it "De Ballot of De Boll Weevil"
• B. B. King has always maintained that Jefferson was a huge influence on his singing and guitar playing.
• Bob Dylan covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" on his debut album.
• Jefferson was a friend of fellow blues artist Lead Belly.
• Van Morrison refers to "Blind Lemon" in the song "Cleaning Windows" on the 1982 album Beautiful Vision. Morrison cites the artist as one of a number of blues influences.
• French singer-songwriter Francis Cabrel refers to Jefferson in the song "Cent Ans de Plus" on the 1999 album Hors-Saison. Cabrel cites the artist as one of a number of blues influences, including Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Blind Blake, Willie Dixon, and Ma Rainey.
• Geoff Muldaur's album The Secret Handshake contains the song (written by Muldaur) "Got To Find Blind Lemon," with lyrics including the phrase "I got to find Blind Lemon, see that his grave is kept clean."
• A song entitled "Blind Lemon Jefferson" can be found on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' album The Firstborn Is Dead.
• The song title "Black Snake Moan" is the title of a 2007 film, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci, wherein Jackson plays and sings the song.
• The blues band The Moanin' Black Snakes, regulars at Las Vegas' Sand Dollar Blues Room, was named after Jefferson's "Black Snake Moan."
• San Francisco industrial metal band Black Snake Moan, established in 1997, derived its name from Jefferson's song "That Black Snake Moan #1."
• In Masked & Anonymous, a film made in 2003, the main character (played by Bob Dylan) receives a guitar, that once "belonged to Blind Lemon."
• The blues musician King Solomon Hill recorded a song entitled "My Buddy Blind Papa Lemon" as a tribute to Jefferson two years after his death in 1932.
• "Blind Lemon Chiffon" is a filk band in the UK.
• The American band Blind Melon get their name from Jefferson.
• Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz accidentally claimed credit for the song "Mean Jumper Blues" in the liner notes of the re-release of August And Everything After (Deluxe Edition). The cover is featured as part of a selection of early demo tracks recorded by the Counting Crows. Duritz apologized immediately after this error was brought to his attention in his personal blog.^[7]
• Patrick Sky did a track parodying Jefferson as "Blind Funk Earwax" playing "Child Molesting Blues" on his album Songs That Made America Famous (1973), playing and singing in Jefferson's distinctive style after a comedic interview. That same year Cheech and Chong did a skit parodying Jefferson as 'Blind Melon Chitlin' ' on their 1973 album Los Cochinos.
• A bar called Blind Lemon appears in the Philip K. Dick novel The Game-Players of Titan.

... // Introduction A license plate, number plate or registration plate (often referred to simply as a plate, or colloquially tag) is a small metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle for official identification purposes. ... This article is about the American duo. ... // In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... B. B. King (born Riley B. King on September 16, 1925) is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... For the film, see Leadbelly (film). ... George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. ... Beautiful Vision is an album by Irish singer-songwriter/musician Van Morrison, released in 1982. ... Blues music redirects here. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... Francis Cabrel (born 23 November 1953 in Agen, France) is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Charley Patton Charley Patton (May 1, 1891–April 28, 1934) was an American delta blues musician, and one of the first mainstream stars of the genre. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Robert Johnson, born Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) is among the most famous of Delta blues musicians. ... Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976), better known as Howlin Wolf or sometimes, The Howlin Wolf, was an influential blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. ... Blind Blake Blind Blake (born Arthur Blake, circa 1893, Jacksonville, Florida; died: circa 1933) was an influential blues singer and guitarist. ... Willie Dixons style of blues was one of the inspirations for a new generation of music, rock and roll. ... Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey, better known as Ma Rainey (September, 1882 – December 22, 1939), was one of the earliest known professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record. ... Geoff Muldaur is a founding member of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a member of Paul Butterfields Better Days, as well as an accomplished solo guitarist, singer, and songwriter. ... The Secret Handshake is an experimental band from Dallas, Texas. ... Look up lyrics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a successful rock band with international personnel. ... The Firstborn Is Dead is the second album released by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. ... Black Snake Moan is a 2007 film written and directed by Craig Brewer. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Samuel Jackson redirects here. ... Christina Ricci (born February 12, 1980) is a [[Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated American actress. ... For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws elements from industrial music and heavy metal music. ... Black Snake Moan is the title of a song by Blind Lemon Jefferson and a film by Craig Brewer. ... Masked & Anonymous is a film written by Bob Dylan and directed by Larry Charles, though they both credited themselves as writers under pseudonyms Sergei Petrov and Rene Fontaine. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... King Solomon Hill (1897 in McComb, Mississippi - 1949 in Sibley, Louisiana) was a bluesman who recorded a small handful of songs in 1932. ... Filk is a form of music created from within fandom, and performed generally late at night at science fiction conventions. ... This article is about the band. ... Counting Crows is a rock band originating from Berkeley, California. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... August and Everything After is the debut album of the Counting Crows, released in 1993 (see 1993 in music). ... For other uses, see demo. ... Patrick Sky, born Patrick Lynch in Georgia in 1940, is a musician, singer and songwriter of Irish and Native American (Creek Indian) ancestry. ... Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong were a comedy duo who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their stand-up routines, which were based upon the eras hippie, free love and especially drug culture movements. ... Los Cochinos is a 1973 comedy album recorded by Cheech and Chong. ... Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction. ... The Game Players of Titan is a 1963 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick. ...

Notes

The Cheech And Chong sketch "Blind Melon Chitlin" appeared on their 1971 debut set "Cheech And Chong" (Ode SP 77010)"Side Uno" Track 1.

References

1. ^ (1977) The Blues Makers. New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80438-7. 
2. ^ 1900 US Census; Census Place: Justice Precinct 5, Freestone, Texas; Roll: T623 1636; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 37.
3. ^ US Census 1910; Census Place: Justice Precinct 6, Navarro, Texas; Roll: T624_1580; Page: 17B; Enumeration District: 98; Image: 982.
4. ^ World War I Draft Registration records; Dallas County, Texas; Roll: 1952850; Draft Board: 2
5. ^ US Census 1920;Census Place: Kirvin, Freestone, Texas; Roll: T625_1805; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 24; Image: 231.
6. ^ "Walter Davis: Fist and Skull Banjo," by Wayne Erbsen, Bluegrass Unlimited: March 1981, 22-26
7. ^ Countingcrows.com

External links

• "Jefferson, Blind Lemon" in the Handbook of Texas Online
• Blues Foundation Hall of Fame induction
• Exclusive article on Blind Lemon Jefferson