Delta Blind Billy

Delta Blind Billy, or Blind Billy, was an American Delta blues artist and outlaw.[1] As a traveling bluesman in Mississippi, he performed with his contemporaries Arthur Big Boy Crudup and Papa Charlie McCoy.[2] One of his notable songs, "Hidden Man Blues", was an early variant of "Man of Constant Sorrow", with the following lyric: "Man of sorrow all my days / Left the home where I been raised."[3] He recorded his version of "Man of Constant Sorrow" in the 1930s.[4] His play on "Man of Constant Sorrow" suggests he traveled extensively, possibly through Appalachia. He is known for recording songs about being an outlaw, despite being blind.[5] Delta Blind Billy is not to be confused with the earlier musician Blind Billy who was a former slave.[6]

Recordings

Recordings of several of Delta Blind Billy's songs are available free from the following sources:

Legacy

Many version of Man of Constant Sorrow have been released and remains a popular song in folk/bluegrass circles. The modern R&B artist Adia Victoria released the song "Sea of Sand" referencing Delta Blind Billy in the chorus.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Watch Delta Blind Billy Video". Ovguide.com. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  2. ↑ "In praise of … Delta bluesmen | Comment is free". The Guardian. 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  3. ↑ Zinn, Xavier (2011). Bob Dylan's Songs of the 1960's. Websters Digital Service. p. 32.
  4. ↑ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2015). Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Black Dog and Leventhal. pp. 51–52.
  5. ↑ "Delta Blind Billy / Waitin Round For you Woman : Delta Blind Billy : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive". Archive.org. 2001-03-10. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  6. ↑ "African–American History Month 2008 at the Library of Virginia". Lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  7. ↑ http://www.villagevoice.com/event/adia-victoria-9213287
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