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.