Blind Joe Reynolds
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"Blind Joe" Reynolds was a singer-songwriter thought to have been born in Tallulah, Louisiana in 1904, although his death certificate states his birthplace as Arkansas in 1900.
Reynolds was blinded by a shotgun blast to the face in Louisiana in the mid-late 1920s, which resulted in the physical loss of his eyes. Despite this handicap, "Blind Joe" became known for his distinctive bottleneck style as well as his reported accuracy with a pistol, with which it is said he could judge the position of a target by sound alone.
Reynolds is known to have been polyamorous, as is apparent from a number of his recordings. He was also known to be outspoken and flamboyant, often using his music as a medium to attack society.
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[edit] Aliases
It is uncertain what name Reynolds' was given at birth. Whilst it is widely thought to have been Joe Sheppard, his nephew Henry Millage claimed it was Joe Leonard. Throughout his career, "Blind Joe" travelled the country performing under various aliases as a way of evading the police, as he had served two jail sentences in his early life, as well as "escaping [his] enemies".
[edit] Recording career
After years of travelling and performing on street corners, Reynolds was eventually discovered in 1929 by musical talent scout H.C. Speir and is known to have entered the studio on at least two occasions, recording four songs at each.
In November 1929, Speir took Reynolds to a small studio in Grafton, Wisconsin where he recorded the songs "Cold Woman Blues", "Nehi Blues", "Ninety Nine Blues" and "Outside Woman Blues". These were recorded under the name "Blind Joe Reynolds" and released as two 78rpm records by Paramount Records.
In November 1930, Reynolds entered the studio once again, this time in Memphis, Tennessee. There he recorded the songs "Goose Hill Woman Blues", "Married Man Blues", "Short Dress Blues" and "Third Street Woman Blues" under the name "Blind Willie Reynolds" for Victor Records. However, only two of these songs were released, on a single 78rpm record. The recordings of "Goose Hill Woman Blues" and "Short Dress Blues" are thought to be lost forever.
The song "Outside Woman Blues" would later find fame when it was recorded by Cream for their 1967 album Disraeli Gears. The group became aware of the song after guitarist Eric Clapton heard it featured on a Blues compilation album. Curiously, on their version, Cream gave the writing credit to "Arthur Reynolds".
Reynolds' "Ninety Nine Blues"/"Cold Woman Blues" 78rpm recording for Paramount was known as the "Holy Grail" of blues records among collectors due to it rarity. In fact, it was thought to be lost until 2000 when a copy was purchased at a flea market for one dollar. It subsequently sold at an auction for a purported $15,000. It remains the only known copy in existence.
[edit] Death
In March 1968, Reynolds was admitted to a hospital in Monroe, Louisiana following a stroke, where he died on March 10. The cause of death was determined to be pneumonia.
[edit] External links
- Blind Joe Reynolds - an extensive tribute.
- The Black Table - a page about blind bluesmen.
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