Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton facts for kids

Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton, born on January 26, 1989, is a talented American musician from Los Angeles. He is a singer and plays many different instruments. Paxton's music style is inspired by blues and jazz music from before World War II. He was influenced by famous musicians like Fats Waller and Blind Lemon Jefferson. A writer for The Wall Street Journal said that Paxton is one of the only musicians of his age who truly understands the blues music from the 1920s and 1930s. He plays instruments like the guitar, banjo, piano, and violin.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Jerron Paxton grew up in the Watts area of Los Angeles. His grandparents moved to California from Louisiana in 1956. These family roots from the Southern United States greatly influenced Paxton when he was young.

Discovering Old Sounds

Paxton loved listening to his hometown blues radio station. He also enjoyed the old Cajun and country blues songs his grandmother used to sing. These early sounds made him very interested in music from the past. He learned a lot about these types of music.

Learning Instruments

He started playing the fiddle when he was twelve years old. Just two years later, he began playing the banjo. He is also Jewish. Paxton finished high school at Verbum Dei High School in 2007.

Dealing with Vision Loss

As a teenager, Paxton began to lose his eyesight. By the time he was 16, he had lost most of his vision. While he was a student at Verbum Dei, he worked at the Braille Institute of America.

Music Career Highlights

In 2007, Paxton moved to upstate New York to attend Marist College. Soon after, he started performing at shows around the Brooklyn area. Even though he was not signed to a record label, he continued to play at old-time, blues, and roots festivals across the United States. He also opened for other bands, like The Dust Busters.

Leading a Music Workshop

In 2014, Paxton was chosen to be the artistic director for the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Workshop and Festival. This event is organized by Centrum in Port Townsend, Washington. He took over this role from other well-known musicians.

Featured in Magazines and Shows

Living Blues magazine featured Paxton on its cover in December 2012. The issue was titled "The Next Generation of the Acoustic Blues." In 2014, he lent his voice and singing to a character called "The Highwayman" in an episode of the animated show Over the Garden Wall.

Appearing in a Documentary

In 2017, Paxton was part of an award-winning documentary film called The American Epic Sessions. In the film, he recorded a song called "Candy Man" by Blind Gary Davis. He used a special electrical sound recording system from the 1920s, which was like the very first modern recording equipment.

Musical Style and Instruments

Jerron Paxton's amazing talent and his contributions to acoustic blues have led to him being compared to other great artists. These include musicians like Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', and Corey Harris.

Unique Banjo Player

Like groups such as the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Paxton is one of the few modern African-American banjo players who performs regularly. The banjo was his first serious instrument.

A Multi-Instrumentalist

Since he was a child, he has learned to play many more instruments. These include the piano, harmonica, Cajun accordion, ukulele, guitar, and the bones. He uses these instruments to play not only blues and jazz, but also ragtime, country blues, and Cajun music.

Discography

Albums

• Direct-To-Disc - Volume 1 (2012)
• Direct-To-Disc - Volume 2 (2012)
• Featured on Over The Garden Wall (Original Television Soundtrack) (2014)
• Recorded Music For Your Entertainment (2015)
• Things Done Changed (2024)

EPs

• Jalopy Records 7" Series: Jerron Paxton (2018)

Singles

• 2012: "Dirtiest Little Darling"/"Railroad Bill"