Blind Lemon Jefferson was born in Wortham, Texas, about 60 miles south of Dallas, in 1897 but it is possible that the year could be a decade or so earlier. Nothing is known about his youth, how he became blind.

He was taught to play guitar in the early 1900's by William Moore the stepfather of John Lee Hooker.

His history seams to begin in 1926 when 'Got The Blues' and 'Long Lonesome Blues', his second blues release, was the first best selling blues record by a black male singer. Soon he had a new car, a bank account and a billing as one of the stars of the Paramount label, the leading producer of "race" records, for whom he made almost a hundred sides in less than four years.

His death is as much of a mysterious as most of his life: he is supposed to have died in Chicago in the winter of 1929, frozen on the streets in a blizzard, but his producer Mayo Williams' account, that he collapsed in his car and was abandoned by his chauffeur, seems more plausable.

From: http://www.john-meekings.co.uk/bljefferson.html



http://rapidshare.de/files/2391559/blind_lemon_jefferson_-_1925_-_26_complete_recorded_works_vol_1_-_19_-_broke_and_hungry.mp3.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/2391626/blind_lemon_jefferson_-_1925_-_26_complete_recorded_works_vol_1_-_25_-_match_box_blues.mp3.html
Blind Lemon Jefferson--Broke and Hungry Blues--You SendIt
Blind Lemon Jefferson--Match Box Blues--You SendIt