Bryan Lee (March 16, 1943 – August 21, 2020) was an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

guitarist and singer based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was also known by the nickname 'Braille Blues Daddy' and was a fixture on Bourbon Street since the 1980s.

History

Lee was born on March 16, 1943, in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, United States, and completely lost his eyesight by the age of eight. His avid interest in early rock and

was fostered through the 1950s by late night listening sessions via the Nashville-based radio station

WLAC-AM WLAC (1510 AM) – branded ''Talkradio 98.3 & 1510'' – is a commercial talk radio radio station licensed to serve Nashville, Tennessee. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station covers the Nashville metropolitan area. The WLAC studios are located ...

, where he first encountered the sounds of Elmore James, Albert King and Albert Collins. By his late teens, Lee was playing rhythm guitar in a regional band called The Glaciers that covered Elvis Presley,

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

and Chuck Berry material. Through the 1960s, Lee's interest turned to Chicago blues and he soon found himself immersed in that scene, opening for some of his boyhood heroes. In 1979 he released his first album named ''Beauty Isn't Always Visual''. In January 1982, Lee moved to New Orleans, eventually landing a steady gig at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street becoming a favorite of tourists in the city's French Quarter. For the next 14 years, Lee and his Jump Street Five played five nights a week at that popular bar, developing a huge following and a solid reputation. To the end of his life, Lee continued to perform in New Orleans. He also toured several times a year in the Midwest, Eastern Seaboard, Rocky Mountain States and recently Europe and Brazil. Lee appeared with Kenny Wayne Shepherd as the musical guest on '' The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' on February 14, 2007. He died on August 21, 2020, at the age of 77.

Discography

Albums

* 1979 ''Beauty Isn't Always Visual'' * 1984 ''Bourbon Street Beat'' * 1991 ''The Blues Is...'' ( Justin Time) * 1993 ''Memphis Bound'' ( Justin Time) * 1995 ''Braille Blues Daddy'' ( Justin Time) * 1995 ''Heat Seeking Missile'' ( Justin Time) * 1997 ''Live at the Old Absinthe House Bar: Friday Night'' ( Justin Time) * 1998 ''Live at the Old Absinthe House Bar, Vol. 2: Saturday'' ( Justin Time) * 2000 ''Crawfish Lady'' ( Justin Time) * 2002 ''Six String Therapy'' ( Justin Time) * 2005 ''Live and Dangerous'' ( Justin Time) * 2007 ''Katrina Was Her Name'' ( Justin Time) * 2009 ''My Lady Don't Love My Lady'' ( Justin Time) * 2010 ''Old School Blues'' * 2011 ''Live from Sao Paulo'' * 2013 ''Play One for Me'' ( Severn Records) * 2018 ''Sanctuary'' (Earrelevant Records)

Compilation albums

* 2003 ''Bryan Lee's Greatest Hits'' ( Justin Time)

DVDs

* 2006 ''Live and Dangerous'' ( Justin Time) **Track list : *# Intro *# The Bounce 4:30 *# The Walk 3:40 *# Smokin Woman 4:32 *# That Ain't Right 6:41 *# Second Line Home 5:53 *# Rocket 88 5:13 *# Blues on My Mind 4:55 *# Sugaree 3:38 *# Don't Take My Blindness For Weakness 7:15 *# Gave You What You Wanted 6:23 *# No Need To Worry 5:50 *# Hug Me Till It Hurts 7:05 *# Six String Therapy 15:14 *# Memphis Bound 12:15

References

External links

The Bryan Lee Blues Band: Home of the Braille Blues Daddy
(official site) *

Biography on Allmusic A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

Biography on Justin Time Records website

Bryan Lee Discography on Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Bryan 1943 births 2020 deaths American blues guitarists American male guitarists Blues musicians from New Orleans People from Two Rivers, Wisconsin Blind musicians Guitarists from Louisiana Guitarists from Wisconsin 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians Justin Time Records artists American blind people American musicians with disabilities