Photo: John and Alan Lomax Collection / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Blind Willie McTell is sacred ground for me. Born in Georgia around the turn of the century and blind from early life, he turned a twelve-string guitar into something almost orchestral, his fluid Piedmont fingerpicking syncopated and impossibly graceful. Generations of musicians have invoked his name, and rightly so; he dug a deep well that others still draw from. Rather than mourn how little we documented of his life, I prefer to sit with the recordings he left, each one a small miracle. He is, to my ear, one of the purest voices the blues ever produced, and I hold him in the highest esteem.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Blind Willie McTell
- Name (Japanese)
- ブラインド・ウィリー・マクテル
- Reading
- ぶらいんど・うぃりー・まくてる
- Born
- May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Dog
- Origin
- Georgia, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer-songwriter / musician / songwriter / guitarist / singer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Blind Willie McTell born?
May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959.
Where is Blind Willie McTell from?
Blind Willie McTell is from Georgia, United States.
What does Blind Willie McTell do?
Blind Willie McTell works as singer-songwriter, musician, songwriter, guitarist, singer.
Singer-songwriter — see all → · Musician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.