Blind Willie McTell

Blind Willie McTell, born William Samuel McTier on May fifth, nineteen ninety-eight, in the Happy Valley community near Thomson, Georgia, was a remarkable figure in the world of American music. Renowned as a Piedmont blues and ragtime singer-songwriter, he was celebrated for his fluid, syncopated fingerpicking guitar style, a hallmark of East Coast blues players. McTell's mastery of the twelve-string guitar and his adeptness at slide guitar set him apart from many of his contemporaries, particularly the harsher voices of Delta bluesmen.

His smooth, laid-back tenor voice complemented his diverse musical repertoire, which included blues, ragtime, religious music, and hokum. Over the course of his prolific career, McTell recorded more than one hundred twenty titles during fourteen sessions, showcasing his talent and versatility. Some of his notable recordings include “Lay Some Flowers on My Grave,” “Lord, Send Me an Angel,” and “Statesboro Blues,” where he pronounced his surname as MacTell, emphasizing the first syllable.

McTell learned to play guitar in his early teens, influenced by his mother and local musicians in Statesboro, Georgia. He gained popularity performing on the streets of various cities, including Augusta and Atlanta, where he made his first recordings for Victor Records in nineteen twenty-seven. Despite never achieving a major hit, he recorded under several names, such as “Blind Sammie” and “Georgia Bill,” and remained active in the music scene throughout the nineteen forties and fifties, often performing at house rent parties and street corners.

His last recordings were made in nineteen fifty-six during an impromptu session, but he passed away three years later after battling diabetes and alcoholism. Although he did not witness the American folk music revival that brought many blues musicians back into the spotlight, McTell's legacy grew significantly after his death, solidifying his status as a pivotal figure in the history of blues music.