African-American blues singer and guitarist; b. near Wortham, Texas, July 1897; d. Chicago, Dec. 1929. Jefferson was afflicted by poor eyesight from childhood. As a youth, he supported himself by singing in the streets. He went to Dallas in 1917, making it the base for occasional trips through the Southwest.

The blues singer LEADBELLY claimed to have worked with Jefferson during this period. Many blind performers hired "lead boys" to help them travel and to discourage thieves who might steal from the money that they collected by playing on street corners. However, there is no evidence that Leadbelly actually ever knew Jefferson, other than hearing his recordings.

Jefferson settled in Chicago in 1925, making a series of historic blues recordings, many of which highlighted his own songs. His Matchbox Blues was later covered by numerous artists, including a revised version by CARL PERKINS which was in turn covered by the BEATLES.

Jefferson's records must have been popular, because some 90 titles were recorded by him between 1926 and 1929. His record label even issued a special picture record in celebration of his birthday, a rare honor to a blues artist.

The exact details of Jefferson's death are unknown. Some say he froze to death while sleeping on the streets of Chicago, while others reported that he had a heart attack while being driven to a job.