Jefferson, Blind Lemon

The details of Jefferson's life are shrouded in mystery. He was probably blind from the time he was born—in July 1897, in Couchman, Texas—and embarked on the life of a travelling street musician during his teenage years, playing in small Texas towns like Groesbeck, mentioned in his song “Penitentiary Blues.” In 1917, Jefferson moved to the Deep Ellum section of Dallas and played on street corners for spare change, earning just enough money through tin-cup donations to...