Blind Lemon Jefferson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blind Lemon Jefferson
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The only known photograph of Jefferson, taken between 1926 and 1929
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lemon Henry Jefferson |
| Born | September 24, 1893 Coutchman, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 19, 1929 (aged 36) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1912–1929 |
Lemon Henry "Blind Lemon" Jefferson was a famous American blues and gospel singer. He was born on September 24, 1893, and passed away on December 19, 1929. Many people called him the "Father of the Texas Blues" because he was so important to this music style.
His unique high voice and amazing guitar skills made his music special. Even though his songs sold very well, other blues singers found it hard to copy his style. But later musicians, especially in blues and rock and roll, tried to play and sing like him.
Contents
About Blind Lemon Jefferson
His Early Life and Music
Blind Lemon Jefferson was born without sight near Coutchman, Texas. He was the youngest of seven or eight children. His parents, Alex and Clarissa Jefferson, were sharecroppers. This means they farmed land owned by someone else and shared the crops. Records show he was born in September 1893.
When he registered for the draft in 1917, he said his birthday was October 26, 1894. He also stated he had been blind since birth. By 1920, he was living with his half-brother, Kit Banks, on a farm in Freestone County, Texas.
Jefferson started playing the guitar when he was a young teenager. Soon after, he began performing at picnics and parties. He became a street musician, playing in towns across East Texas. He would play outside barbershops and on street corners. His cousin Alec Jefferson said that Lemon would play all night long, from eight in the evening until four in the morning.
In the early 1910s, Jefferson often traveled to Dallas. There, he met and played with another blues musician named Lead Belly. Jefferson was one of the first and most important blues artists in the Deep Ellum area of Dallas. He likely moved to Deep Ellum around 1917. There, he met T-Bone Walker, another famous musician. Jefferson taught Walker how to play blues guitar. In return, Walker sometimes helped guide Jefferson around. By the early 1920s, Jefferson was earning enough money from his music to support himself.
Starting His Recording Career
Before Jefferson, not many artists had recorded songs with just a solo voice and blues guitar. Jefferson did something new: he became a very successful solo guitarist and male singer in the music business.
He traveled to Chicago in late 1925 or early 1926 to record his first songs. His first two recordings were gospel songs. They were released under the name Deacon L. J. Bates. He had a second recording session in March 1926. His first songs released under his own name were "Booster Blues" and "Dry Southern Blues". These songs became very popular.
Their success led to the release of two more songs from that session: "Got the Blues" and "Long Lonesome Blues". These became huge hits, selling hundreds of thousands of copies. Between 1926 and 1929, he recorded about 100 songs. Most of his records were released by Paramount Records.
Paramount's recording quality was not always the best. So, in May 1926, Paramount re-recorded Jefferson's hits "Got the Blues" and "Long Lonesome Blues" at a better studio. Later releases used these improved versions.
Success with Paramount Records
Thanks to popular artists like Jefferson, Blind Blake, and Ma Rainey, Paramount became a top record company for blues music in the 1920s. Jefferson's earnings were said to be quite good. He was even given a Ford car by J. Mayo Williams, who worked for Paramount. This was a common way for artists to be paid for their music rights back then.
Jefferson traveled a lot across the American South. This is why his music is hard to put into just one regional style. His unique sound and confident playing made him easy to promote. His amazing guitar skills and wide vocal range opened doors for new male solo blues singers. These included Furry Lewis, Charley Patton, and Barbecue Bob.
Jefferson did not follow strict music rules. He changed his guitar riffs and rhythms. He sang complex and meaningful lyrics. This was very special for a "simple country blues singer" at that time.
Jefferson was reportedly not happy with how much money he earned from his songs. In 1927, when Mayo Williams moved to Okeh Records, Jefferson went with him. Okeh quickly recorded and released Jefferson's "Matchbox Blues" and "Black Snake Moan". These were his only recordings with Okeh, likely because of his contract with Paramount. The sound quality of his Okeh songs was much better than his Paramount records at the time.
When he returned to Paramount a few months later, "Matchbox Blues" was already a big hit. Paramount then re-recorded and released two new versions of the song. In 1927, Jefferson recorded another famous song, "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean". He also recorded two other spiritual songs. "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" was so popular that it was re-recorded and released again in 1928.
His Passing and Burial Place
Blind Lemon Jefferson passed away in Chicago on December 19, 1929. His death certificate said it was likely due to a heart problem. For many years, there were stories that he was poisoned. However, it is more likely he had a heart attack during a snowstorm. Some people said he died after being attacked by a dog. One story claims he was robbed and killed while trying to catch a train home to Texas.
Paramount Records paid to send his body back to Texas by train. The pianist William Ezell went with his body. Jefferson was buried at Wortham Negro Cemetery (now called Wortham Black Cemetery) in Wortham, Texas. His grave did not have a marker until 1967. A historical marker was placed near his plot, but the exact spot of his grave is still unknown.
By 1996, the cemetery and marker were in poor condition. So, a new granite headstone was put up in 1997. The words on it are from his song, "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean": "Lord, it's one kind favor I'll ask of you, see that my grave is kept clean." In 2007, the cemetery's name was changed to Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery. A committee in Wortham now keeps his gravesite clean.
His Music and Influence
Jefferson had a very detailed and fast way of playing the guitar. He also had a very high-pitched voice. He helped create the Texas blues sound. He greatly influenced other blues singers and guitarists, including Lead Belly and Lightnin' Hopkins.
He wrote many songs that later musicians covered. One of his most famous is "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean". Another song, "Matchbox Blues", was recorded more than 30 years later by The Beatles. They used a rockabilly version of the song. The famous blues artist B.B. King said Jefferson was one of his biggest musical inspirations.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame chose Jefferson's 1927 recording of "Matchbox Blues" as one of the 500 songs that helped shape rock and roll. Jefferson was also one of the first blues musicians to be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.
Songs Covered by Other Artists
Many artists have covered Blind Lemon Jefferson's songs:
- Canned Heat covered "One Kind Favor" on their album "Living the Blues" (1968).
- Bukka White covered "Jack o' Diamonds".
- Bob Dylan covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" on his album Bob Dylan.
- Grateful Dead covered "One Kind Favor" (a version of "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean").
- Merl Saunders, Jerry Garcia, John Kahn, and Bil Vitt covered "One Kind Favor".
- John Hammond covered "One Kind Favor".
- B.B. King covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" on his album One Kind Favor.
- Peter, Paul and Mary covered "One Kind Favor" on their album In Concert.
- Kelly Joe Phelps covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean".
- The Dream Syndicate covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean".
- Counting Crows covered "Mean Jumper Blues".
- Laibach covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean".
- Pat Donohue covered "One Kind Favor".
- Corey Harris covered "Jack o' Diamonds".
- Diamanda Galás covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean".
- Phish covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" live.
- Scott H. Biram covered "Jack of Diamonds".
- Steve Suffet covered "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean".
See also
In Spanish: Blind Lemon Jefferson para niños
