Delta Blind Billy
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Delta Blind Billy, or Blind Billy, was an American
Delta blues Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of the s ...
artist and outlaw. As a traveling bluesman in Mississippi, he performed with his contemporaries
Arthur Big Boy Crudup Arthur William "Big Boy" Crudup (August 24, 1905 – March 28, 1974) was an American Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known, outside blues circles, for his songs "That's All Right" (1946), "My Baby Left Me" and "So Gla ...
and Papa Charlie McCoy. 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." He recorded his version of " Man of Constant Sorrow" in the 1930s. His play on "Man of Constant Sorrow" suggests he traveled extensively, possibly through
Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...
. He is known for recording songs about being an outlaw, despite being legally blind. Delta Blind Billy is not to be confused with the earlier musician, Blind Billy, who was a former slave.


Legacy

Blind Billy is referred to by the Italian media magazine ''LEFT'' as "the master of an entire generation of musicians." Many versions of " Man of Constant Sorrow" have been released and it 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. Italian Artists Vittorio Giacopini and Valerio Billeri released an album and short story with illustrations on the "mysterious delta bluesman" Delta Blind Billy. Their album, ''La Trasfigurazione di Delta Blind Billy'', peaked at number 50 on the Italian iTunes chart.


References

{{Reflist American blues musicians Delta blues musicians Blind musicians American outlaws Year of birth missing Year of death missing