Blind Willie McTell
Blind Willie McTell, born William Samuel McTier on May 5, 1898, in Thomson, Georgia, was a prominent American blues musician known for his Piedmont blues and ragtime style. Despite being blind in one eye from birth and losing his remaining vision by late childhood, McTell became a proficient musician, learning to read and write music in Braille. He was taught to play the guitar by his mother and other relatives in Statesboro, Georgia, where his family relocated.
McTell's musical career began in the 1910s and spanned into the 1950s. He was known for his fluid, syncopated fingerpicking style on the twelve-string guitar and his smooth tenor voice, which set him apart from the harsher tones of Delta blues musicians. He recorded over 120 titles during fourteen recording sessions, producing classics like "Statesboro Blues," "Mama 'Tain’t Long 'for’ Day," and "Georgia Rag."
Throughout his career, McTell recorded under various pseudonyms to navigate contractual agreements, including Blind Sammie, Georgia Bill, and Pig & Whistle Red. He performed in diverse venues, from street corners and house parties in Georgia to vaudeville theaters and churches across the South and up to New York City.
Despite not achieving major commercial success during his lifetime, McTell's influence persisted, and his music was later covered by artists like the Allman Brothers Band. He continued to perform actively into the 1950s, often alongside his friend Curley Weaver, and made his final recordings in 1956. Blind Willie McTell passed away on August 19, 1959, in Milledgeville, Georgia, leaving behind a legacy as one of the great blues musicians of his era.
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