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Blind Willie McTell (May 5, 1901 (Thomson, Georgia) – August 15, 1959 (Milledgeville, Georgia), probably born William Samuel McTear, was an influential American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

He was a twelve-string finger picking guitarist, and recorded from 1927 to 1955. One of his most famous songs, "Statesboro Blues", has been covered by artists such as Taj Mahal and The Allman Brothers Band. Jack White of the White Stripes considers McTell an influence as well. Folk-turned-rock legend Bob Dylan has paid tribute to McTell on two occasions: first in a specially-written song about the bluesman (recorded in 1983, released on a rarities compilation in 1991), then with a cover of McTell's "Broke Down Engine" on his 1993 album World Gone Wrong.

Contents 1 Early career 2 Partial sessionography 3 Discography 4 Lyrics 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Early career

Born blind in one eye, McTell lost his remaining vision by late childhood, but became an adept reader of Braille. He showed an inherent proficiency in music from an early age and learned to play the six-string guitar as soon as he could. His father left the family when McTell was still young, so when his mother died in the 1920s, he left his hometown and became a wandering busker. He began his recording career in 1927 for Victor Records in Atlanta.

In the years before World War II, he traveled and performed widely, recording for a number of labels under a variety of names. His style was singular: a form of country blues, bridging the gap between the raw blues of the Mississippi Delta and the more refined East Coast sound. The style is well documented on Alan Lomax's 1940 recordings of McTell for the Library of Congress.

In 1934, he married his first<ref>http://www.iowrock.net/vapourtrails/pages/artists/getArtists.asp?ArtistID=86&Search=M</ref> wife Ruth Kate Williams (now better known as Kate McTell).<ref>http://bluesnet.hub.org/readings/mctell.html</ref> She accompanied him on stage and on several recordings, before becoming a nurse in 1939. Most of their marriage from 1942 until his death was spent apart, with her living in Fort Gordon near Augusta, and him working around Atlanta.

Post-war, he recorded for Atlantic Records and for Regal Records, but these recordings met with less commercial success than his previous works. He continued to perform live in Atlanta, but his continued career was cut short by ill health, predominantly diabetes.

A record store manager, Ed Rhoades, met McTell in 1956 and captured a few final performances on a tape recorder. Blind Willie McTell's Last Session album on Prestige/Bluesville Records.<ref>Blind Willie McTell. bluesnet. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.</ref>

McTell died of a stroke in 1959.

A blues festival in McTell's honor is held annually in his birthplace, Thomson, Georgia.

[edit] Partial sessionography

• October 18, 1927 - Atlanta, Georgia
  • "Writing Paper Blues"
  • "Stole Rider Blues"
  • "Mama, Tain't Long Fo' Day"
  • "Mr. McTell Got The Blues" (Take 1)
  • "Mr. McTell Got The Blues" (Take 2)

• October 17, 1928 - Atlanta, Georgia
  • "Three Women Blues"
  • "Dark Night Blues"
  • "Statesboro Blues"
  • "Loving Talking Blues"

• October 30-31, 1929 - Atlanta, Georgia
  • "Atlanta Strut"
  • "Travelin' Blues"
  • "Come On Around To My House Mama"
  • "Kind Mama"

• November 26, 1929 - Atlanta, Georgia
  • "Drive Away Blues"

• November 29, 1929 - Atlanta, Georgia
  • "Love Changing Blues"

[edit] Discography

• The Definitive Blind Willie McTell 1927–1935 on Catfish Records (KATCD229) - Presents the complete recordings (including pseudonymous works) from the period 1927–1935.
• The Classic Years 1927–1940 on JSP Records (JSP7711) omits some recordings found on the previous set but adds his 1940 session for the Library of Congress.
• The Definitive Blind Willie McTell on SonyLegacy Recordings (C2K-53234) includes several previously unissued takes and has extensive liner notes by David Evans. It does, however, omit "Statesboro Blues," probably McTell's most definitive song.
• Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 1 - Document Records (Austria) DOCD-5006.
• Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 2 - Document Records (Austria) DOCD-5007.
• Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 3 - Document Records (Austria) DOCD-5008.
• These three discs, covering 1927-1933, were also issued in a box set as Statesboro Blues (DOCD-5677)
• 1940: Complete Library of Congress Recordings - RST Records (Austria) BDCD-6001.
• Blind Willie McTell & Curley Weaver: The Post-War Years 1949-1950 - RST Records (Austria) BDCD-6014.
• The Best of Blind Willie McTell on Yazoo - selections of 1920s and 1930s recordings - Yazoo-2071

[edit] Lyrics

"Delia" Lyrics

Delia was a gamblin' gambled all around she was a gambling girl she laid her money down She's all I got is gone

Delia's dear mother took a trip out west whe she returned, little Delia had gone to rest She's all I got is gone

Delia's mother weeped, Delia's father moaned, went ahead so bad about the child had died at home she's all I got is gone

Delia, Delia how can it be? say you love them rounders and dont love me she's all I got is gone

Kenny he's in the bedroom drinkin' out a silver cup Delia she's in the graveyard and may not never wake up she's all i got is gone

Rubber tired buggy, double-seated hack, taken Delia to the cemetery but failed to bring her back she's all I got is gone

Delia delia whoa girl shes gone all i hate she had and left me all alone she's all I got is gone

Judge said to Kenny "what that fuss about?" "On account of those gamblers trying to drive me out" she's all I got is gone

Kenny said to the judge "what may be my fine? I don' told you fool boy, you got 99" she's all I got is gone

up on the housetop higher'n I could see looking at those rounders looking out to me shes all i got is gone

Kenny lookin high, kenny lookin low shot old Delia down with that hateful .44 She's all I got is gone

[edit] References

Charters, Samuel Sweet As the Showers of Rain (Oak Publications) pp.120-131 <references />

[edit] External links

• "Blind Willie" 's Gravesite
• "Statesboro Blues" MP3 File on The Internet Archiveda:Blind Willie McTell

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