Blind Lemon Jefferson and Johnson City, Tennessee

Ward Weems posted the photograph and text below on his great Facebook page recently. Johnson City is in Appalachia, and I remember it as an industrial center with a reputation for tough-living people and good music. I am adding a sample of Blind Lemon Jefferson's music.

Renowned guitarist Walter Davis, who was recorded by Columbia for the Johnson City Sessions, was among those who told of Blind Lemon Jefferson playing at the railroad junction in Johnson City, Tennessee during the early 1920s.

Davis, Clarence Greene and Clarence Ashley seemed to have learned blues and other guitar styles from Jefferson at Fountain Square in Johnson City where three railroads had stations around the square. Walter Davis, later, interacted with Doc Watson.

Clarence Ashley’s rediscovery had a important role in kicking off the folk revival period. His recording of ‘Coo Coo Bird’ played a significant part in this.

Ashley also taught ‘House of the Rising Sun to Roy Acuff who recorded it in 1938.

The image of Blind Lemon Jefferson is by Kimiaki Ishisuka who created a figurine and drew the image of the figurine. It is based on the only known photograph of Blind Lemon Jefferson. Ishisuka’s image of Jefferson is added to a photograph of the Fountain Square area of Johnson City.