Bang & Jangle Radio Hour, Season 3, Episode 9: Old Blind So-and-So

Rev. Gary Davis and dancer

You know the cliche - blues musicians have crazy names. Calling yourself "Old Blind" whathaveyou is the first step to bluesy authenticity. But have you sat down and actually listened to the musicians who started it all? If you haven't, do it now. Here's a list of the blind African-American musicians who started the trend:

Blind Willie McTell - Atlanta Strut
Blind Lemon Jefferson - Hot Dogs
Blind Blake - Hot Potatoes
Blind Boy Fuller - Truckin' My Blues Away
Blind Willie Johnson - Can't Nobody Hide from God
Blind Gary Davis - You Got to Go Down
Blind John Davis - No Mail Today
The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi - Will My Jesus Be Waiting
The Blind Boys of Alabama - This May Be the Last Time
Blind Snooks Eaglin - Possum Up a Simmon Tree
Blind Roosevelt Graves - Hittin' the Bottle
Pink Anderson and Simeon "Blind Simmie" Dooley - Gonna Tip Out Tonight
Blind Willie Davis - Rock of Ages
Blind Joe Taggart - The Storm Is Passing Over
Sonny Terry - Old Lost John

Like I said on the show, Reverend Gary Davis and Snooks Eaglin didn't always use the blind in front of their names, but some sources use it so it counts. Sonny Terry never took the word on, but he still made it on the show because his whoop is immortal.

The Bang & Jangle Radio Hour airs Mondays 9:00-10:00 p.m. on Trent Radio, 92.7 in Peterborough, or online at http://www.trentradio.ca/stream.htm.

Season 3, Episode 9