Blind Lemon Jefferson: His Life, His Death, and His Legacy [Paperback]

Robert L. Uzzel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002

Between 1926 and his untimely death in 1929, Blind Lemon Jefferson was the largest-selling black blues singer in the United States. 

Blind from birth, Lemon wandered the streets of Wortham, Groesbeck, Marlin, and Kosse in Central Texas, playing his guitar and soliciting contributions with his tin cup. In 1912 he caught a train for Dallas, where he performed in the famous Deep Ellum district. He was discovered by a talent scout for Paramount Records and taken to Chicago in 1925.

Between 1926 and 1929, Lemon recorded more than a hundred titles and traveled extensively. His musical influence was widespread, affecting white and black musicians alike and extending to musical forms other than the blues.

Product Details

• Paperback: 109 pages
• Publisher: Eakin Pr (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571686568
• ISBN-13: 978-1571686565
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,289,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Robert L. (Bob) Uzzel was born on 22 May 1951 in Waco, Texas. He graduated from Waco High School in 1969 and received an Associate of Arts degree from McLennan Community College in 1971. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Sociology in 1973, a Master of Arts in Church-State Studies in 1976, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in World Religions in 1995 from Baylor University. He received a postdoctoral Master of Arts in Political Science at the University of Texas at Arlington in 2008.

An ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, he served as pastor of Texas A.M.E. congregations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Kaufman, Blooming Grove, and Maypearl prior to his appointment to Ennis in 2002. He serves as Chair of the Department of Religion and as Associate Professor of Religion, History, and Political Science at Paul Quinn College. He has taught a wide variety of courses not only at Paul Quinn but also at Cedar Valley College, Mountain View College, Tarrant County College, Temple College, and Navarro College.

A prolific writer, his articles have appeared in a number of publications. For his Masonic writings, he received Certificates of Literature from both the Philalethes Society and the Phylaxis Society. He is a Fellow of the Phylaxis Society, a holder of the Dr. Charles H. Wesley Medal of History, a Founding Fellow of the Masonic Society, and a member of the Society of Blue Friars an invitation-only organization for Masonic authors and editors. His books include Blind Lemon Jefferson: His Life, His Death, and His Legacy [ www.eakinpress.com ]; Prince Hall Freemasonry in the Lone Star State: From Cuney to Curtis, 1875-2003 [ www.eakinpress.com ], and Eliphas Levi and the Kabbalah: The Masonic and French Connection of the American Mystery Tradition [www.cornerstonepublishers.com ].

He is married to the former Debra Bass, a native of Fairfield, Texas. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The REAL STORY ON THE 1ST GREAT BLUESMAN!, August 13, 2002

By 

Rev KM Williams "revkmwilliams" (dallas, tx United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blind Lemon Jefferson: His Life, His Death, and His Legacy (Paperback)

This is an excellent,straight-to-the-point book on the beginning,life of and ending of the 1st great Country bluesman, Blind Lemon Jefferson.The book is a good ,factual account of his life taken from people that actually knew him or encountered him mixed in with family members recollections of him.If anyone wants an insight to the Life of this music legend and the development of Blues music in general; this book is a must have!!!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Waste of Time, September 1, 2003

By 

Smilin' Jack "N/A" (Carrizozo, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blind Lemon Jefferson: His Life, His Death, and His Legacy (Paperback)

Uzzel borrows liberally from previous research and writing on Jefferson while supplying very little of his own. I didn't learn anything new about Jefferson from reading this, nor will any other decently informed blues fan. There is absolutely zero analysis of BLJ's songs or musicianship, nor any attempt to place him in the context of his times. Uzzel knows nothing about other bluesmen, so he abstains from potentially insightful comparisons to BLJ contemporaries in Texas and Mississippi. There is no discography, so the reader is left guessing at exactly what, when, and where BLJ recorded his tunes. All in all, a vacuous read and a waste of everyone's time and money.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars listen to the blues not smilin jack, November 1, 2010

By 

Gloville - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blind Lemon Jefferson: His Life, His Death, and His Legacy (Paperback)

Smilin Jack clearly has his own little axe to grind. I recommend this heart felt book. There are also good chapters on BLJ in The Country Blues and The Bluesmen, both by Samuel Charters.