Blind Lemon Jefferson

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Blind Lemon Jefferson, also known as Lemon Henry Jefferson, is an American blues and gospel singer-songwriter from Coutchman, Texas, near Wortham in Freestone County. Born in 1893 and dying in 1929, he is one of the key figures in early Texas blues and is often called the “Father of the Texas Blues”.

Style and early life

He is born blind and begins playing guitar in his early teens. He soon performs at picnics and parties, then works as a street musician in East Texas, playing outside barbershops and on street corners. His singing and self-accompaniment stand out for a high-pitched voice and an unusual, individual approach to guitar playing. He travels widely in the American South, and his music does not fit neatly into a single regional style.

By the early 1910s he is travelling to Dallas, where he meets and plays with Lead Belly. He becomes one of the earliest and most prominent figures in the blues scene developing in Deep Ellum, and by around 1917 he is likely living there more permanently. In Dallas he also meets Aaron Thibeaux Walker, later known as T-Bone Walker, and teaches him the basics of blues guitar in exchange for Walker sometimes guiding him around.

Recording career

Jefferson goes to Chicago in late 1925 or early 1926 to make his first recordings. His first session includes gospel material released under the name Deacon L. J. Bates, with “I Want to be like Jesus in my Heart” and “All I Want is that Pure Religion”. A second session follows in March 1926, and his first releases under his own name, “Booster Blues” and “Dry Southern Blues”, become hits. “Got the Blues” and “Long Lonesome Blues” also become major successes and sell in large numbers.

He records about 100 tracks between 1926 and 1929, with 43 records issued, almost all on Paramount Records. Because Paramount’s recording conditions are poor, some of his material is re-recorded in better facilities at Marsh Laboratories. He is also recorded by OKeh in 1927, when “Matchbox Blues” and “Black Snake Moan” are issued; these are his only OKeh recordings. “Matchbox Blues” becomes a major hit and is later re-recorded by Paramount in new versions. Another major song from 1927 is “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”, recorded under the Deacon L. J. Bates name and later reissued after becoming a hit.

Influence and legacy

Jefferson is a founder of the Texas blues sound and an important influence on later blues singers and guitarists, including Lead Belly, Lightnin’ Hopkins and B. B. King. His recordings also shape later listeners and performers such as Doc Watson. “Matchbox Blues” becomes one of the songs selected among the 500 songs that shape rock and roll, and it is later covered in a rockabilly version associated with Carl Perkins and also recorded by the Beatles. “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean” is also widely covered.

He is among the inaugural class of blues musicians inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. His name appears on a State of Texas license plate, and later musicians and writers refer to him in songs, films and other works.

Death and burial

Jefferson dies in Chicago in December 1929. The cause of death is unknown. His body is returned to Texas for burial at Wortham Negro Cemetery, now Wortham Black Cemetery, later renamed Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery. His grave is unmarked for many years before a marker and later a granite headstone are added.