Delta Blind Billy

Delta Blind Billy, or Blind Billy, was an American Delta blues artist and outlaw.[1] As a traveling bluesman in Mississippi, he performed with his contemporaries Arthur Big Boy Crudup and Papa Charlie McCoy.[2] 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."[3] He recorded his version of "Man of Constant Sorrow" in the 1930s.[4] His play on "Man of Constant Sorrow" suggests he traveled extensively, possibly through Appalachia. He is known for recording songs about being an outlaw, despite being legally blind.[5] Delta Blind Billy is not to be confused with the earlier musician, Blind Billy, who was a former slave.[6]

Legacy

Blind Billy is referred to by the Italian media magazine LEFT as "the master of an entire generation of musicians."[7] Many versions of "Man of Constant Sorrow" have been released and it remains a popular song in folk/bluegrass circles.[8] The modern R&B artist Adia Victoria released the song, "Sea of Sand", referencing Delta Blind Billy in the chorus.[9] Italian Artists Vittorio Giacopini and Valerio Billeri released an album and short story with illustrations on the "mysterious delta bluesman" Delta Blind Billy.[10] Their album, La Trasfigurazione di Delta Blind Billy, peaked at number 50 on the Italian iTunes chart.

References
  1. "Watch Delta Blind Billy Video". Ovguide.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  2. "In praise of ... Delta bluesmen | Comment is free". The Guardian. 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  3. Zinn, Xavier (2011). Bob Dylan's Songs of the 1960s. Websters Digital Service. p. 32. ISBN 978-1240939824
  4. Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2015). Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Black Dog and Leventhal. pp. 51–52.
  5. "Delta Blind Billy / Waitin Round For you Woman : Delta Blind Billy : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive". Archive.org. 2001-03-10. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  6. "African–American History Month 2008 at the Library of Virginia". Lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  7. Giacopini, Vittorio (12 July 2020). "Delta Blind Billy, un eroe da romanzo". Left.it. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  8. "Behind The Song: "Man Of Constant Sorrow"". Americansongwriter.com. 2011-06-30. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  9. Rhoades, Lindsey. "Adia Victoria | Baby's All Right | Music, Blues, Gothic, Singer-Songwriter | New York News, Food, Culture and Events". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  10. "La trasfigurazione di Delta Blind Billy - in crowdfunding su Eppela". Eppela.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
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