| First Name |
Blind
|
| Middle Name |
Willie
|
| Last Name |
McTell
|
| Alternative Name |
William Samuel McTear, Blind Sammie, Georgia Bill, Hot Shot Willie, Blind Willie, Barrelhouse Sammy, Pig & Whistle Red, Blind Doogie, Red Hot Willie Glaze, Red Hot Willie, Eddie McTier
|
| Birthday |
5th May, 1898
|
| Birthplace |
Thomson, Georgia, United States
|
| Died |
19th August, 1959
|
| Place of Death |
Milledgeville, Georgia, U.S.
|
| Buried |
Jones Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Thomson, McDuffie County, Georgia, USA
|
| Zodiac Sign |
Taurus
|
| Nationality |
American
|
| Occupation Text |
Musician, songwriter, songster, accompanist, preacher
|
| Occupation |
Composer
|
| Music Genre (Text) |
Country blues, Piedmont blues, East Coast blues, Songster, ragtime, Delta blues, gospel
|
| Music Genre |
Blues, Piedmont Blues
|
| Year(s) Active |
1927–1956, 1910s–1956
|
| Music Style |
Acoustic Blues, Country Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Piedmont Blues, East Coast Blues, Regional Blues, Songster
|
| Music Mood |
Earthy, Passionate, Plaintive, Gritty, Rousing, Spiritual, Earnest, Bittersweet, Intimate, Whimsical, Playful, Atmospheric, Austere
|
| Instrument |
Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Harmonica, Accordion, Vocals
|
| Instrument (text) |
Vocals, guitar, harmonica, accordion, kazoo, violin
|
| Record Label |
Victor, Columbia, Okeh, Vocalion, Decca, Library of Congress, Atlantic, Regal, Prestige, Transatlantic
|
| Associated Acts |
Curley Weaver, Kate McTell
|
Blind Willie McTell (born William Samuel McTier; May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959) was a Piedmont blues and ragtime singer and guitarist. He played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique, common among many exponents of Piedmont blues. Unlike his contemporaries, he came to use twelve-string guitars exclusively. McTell was also an adept slide guitarist, unusual among ragtime bluesmen. His vocal style, a smooth and often laid-back tenor, differed greatly from many of the harsher voices of Delta bluesmen such as Charley Patton. McTell performed in various musical styles, including blues, ragtime, religious music and hokum.
