Blind Lemon was born in Couchman, near Wortham in Freestone County, Texas. It was long believed that he was born in 1897 but research in 1996 revealed that he was probably born in September, 1893.

Blind Lemon Jefferson was blind from childhood, possibly even from birth. Like Sonny Terry, he may like have had some residual sight (which would explain his wearing clear, rather than dark, glasses.)

Between 1925 and 1929, he made at least 100 recordings, including alternate versions of some songs. He Had 43 records issued, all but one on the Paramount label. His first release, in around March 1926, Booster Blues and Dry Southern Blues was a hit. It was largely due to the popularity of artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson and contemporaries such as Blind Blake and Ma Rainey that Paramount became the leading recording company for the blues in the twenties. Jefferson's earnings enabled him to buy a car and employ chauffeurs.

As a young man, Jefferson took up the guitar and became a street musician, playing in Wortham and nearby East Texas towns like Groesbeck (mentioned in his Penitentiary Blues,) Buffalo and Marlin, the birthplace of Blind Willie Johnson, who Lemon may well have encountered in his travels.

He was drawn to the city of Dallas sometime before 1917. He became a resident there, playing in the area centered on 'Deep Ellum,' Dallas' equivalent of Memphis' Beale Street. It was here that he met up with Leadbelly, who was nearly ten years older than Lemon and a very experienced musician with a large repertoire of songs. Nonetheless, it was the younger man who had the greater command of the blues.

Many years later, Leadbelly paid tribute to Lemon's greatness by recording several pieces inspired by Jefferson's playing (notably, Blind Lemon's Blues.) For an indeterminate period of time, they played together in Dallas, but from 1918 to 1924, Leadbelly served a prison sentence, afterwards returning to Louisiana, so their association may have been relatively brief.

As his reputation grew, Lemon started traveling further afield to play, and in the early 1920s, he played in most Southern states, if all reports are to be believed. (The lyrics to some of his songs certainly seem to suggest a familiarity with many different musical locales.) He most certainly penetrated the Mississippi Delta/Memphis region, where there was lucrative work for an itinerant bluesman. How did he travel so widely? Presumably by train, riding boxcars or sometimes paying his fare. The stories of Lemon being led around by various blues singers can probably be dismissed as, by other accounts, he had, like Blind Willie McTell in Georgia, an uncanny ability to get around. Both Jefferson and McTell display vivid visual imagery in their lyrics, perhaps stemming from, to borrow a phrase from Stevie Wonder, "inner visions."

He was the author of many tunes covered by later musicians, including the classic "See That My Grave is Kept Clean."

Jefferson died in Chicago in December 1929. Paramount Records paid for the return of his body to Texas by train, accompanied by pianist Will Ezell. He was buried at Wortham Negro Cemetery (now Wortham Black Cemetery). Far from his grave being kept clean, it was unmarked until 1967 when a Texas Historical Marker was erected in the general area of his plot, the precise location being unknown. By 1996 the cemetery and marker were in poor condition but a new granite headstone was erected in 1997.

Blind Lemon Jefferson inspired a generation of male bluesmen, but had few imitators, due to the complexity of his guitar playing and the distinctiveness of his high, clear voice.

Wikipedia and
The Eyeneer Music Archives Page
on Blind Lemon Jefferson