Anthology of Americna Folk Music
Volume 3: Songs, Track 69

RABBIT FOOT BLUES
Blind Lemon Jefferson

Recorded Chicago: December, 1926
Lemon Jefferson, vocal and guitar
Originally released on Paramount 12454A

Blind Lemon Jefferson (1897-1929) made some of the best selling blues recordings of the 1920s for Paramount Records. His records influenced many other blues singers in the southwest. A native of Wortham, Texas, Jefferson was born blind and took to music as a livelihood. He played the streets of Dallas and traveled extensively, sometimes in the company of singers Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter or Josh White, who acted as his eyes. As a consequence of his weight and his blindness, he also was able to make a living as a novelty wrestler.

Unfortunately, Jefferson did not receive much money from his recordings. He moved to Chicago, and was destitute when he was found frozen to death near his guitar in 1929. (Sam Charters, The Country Blues, pg. 66). Both Lead Belly and White made a mark during the early years of the urban folksong revival and they introduced Lemon's music to these and later audiences. Lead Belly wrote a musical tribute to Jefferson (see SF 40044c). There were also recorded tributes at the time of his death, including a recorded sermon by the Reverend Emmett Dickinson called "The Death of Blind Lemon Jefferson." In retrospect, Lemon Jefferson was one of the most important blues musicians of the 1920s.

FOR ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS of Jefferson see:
King of the Country Blues (YZ 1069c); Vol. 1, 1926-1929 (BIO 12000a); Vol. 2: Master of the Blues (BIO 12015a); Blind Lemon Jefferson (Milestone 47022a); Immortal (Milestone 2004a); Vol. 2 (Milestone 2007a); Black Snake Moan (Milestone 2013a); Blind Lemon Jefferson (Roots 301a); Early and Rare (RVR 12-134a); Blind Lemon's Penitentiary Blues (RVR 1053a); The Folk Blues of Blind Lemon Jeffferson (RVR 1014a); and the collections This Old World's in a Hell of a Fix (BIO 12027a); Son House and Blind Lemon (BIO 12040a);  Legends of the Blues, Vol. 1 (COL 46215c); Before the Blues, Vol. 2 (YZ 2016c); The Country Blues (FW RF1c); Jazz Vol. 2 (FW 2802c); and Don't You Leave Me Here (YZ 1004c).

For additional information on Jefferson see Samuel Charters, The Country Blues, New York: De Capo Press, 1959, pp. 57-72.