Blind Willie Reynolds

"Blind Joe" Reynolds (1900 or 1904 – March 10, 1968), was an American singer-songwriter and blues guitarist.

Reynolds is thought to have been born in Tallulah, Louisiana in 1904, although his death certificate states his birthplace as Arkansas in 1900. He 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 and somewhat misogynistic, 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.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1904 (Arkansas), Died March 10, 1968 (Monroe)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar, composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-64721 10-in. 11/26/1930 Married man blues Blind Willie Reynolds Male vocal solo, with guitar lyricist, composer, instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Victor BVE-64722 10-in. 11/26/1930 Short dress blues Blind Willie Reynolds Male vocal solo, with guitar lyricist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, vocalist  
Victor BVE-64723 10-in. 11/26/1930 Goose Hill women blues Blind Willie Reynolds Male vocal solo, with guitar lyricist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, vocalist  
Victor BVE-64724 10-in. 11/26/1930 Third Street woman blues Blind Willie Reynolds Male vocal solo, with guitar lyricist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reynolds, Blind Willie," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111338.

Reynolds, Blind Willie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111338.

"Reynolds, Blind Willie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111338

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