"Blind" Blake (born Arthur Blake, circa 1893, Jacksonville, Florida; died: circa 1933) was an influential blues singer and guitarist. He is often called "The King Of Ragtime Guitar".

Biography

Blind Blake recorded about 80 tracks for Paramount Records between 1926 and 1932. He was one of the most accomplished guitarists of his genre with a surprisingly diverse range of material. He is best known for his distinct guitar sound that was comparable in sound and style to a ragtime piano.

Little is known about his life. His birthplace was listed as Jacksonville, Florida by Paramount Records but that is not firmly established. On one recording he slipped into a Geechee dialect, prompting speculation that he was from the Georgia coastal region. Nothing is definitely known of his death and even his name is not certain. According to many sources, his real name was Arthur Phelps, although concrete evidence for this claim is lacking. Recent research has discovered that many of Blind Blake's recordings were copyrighted under the name 'Arthur Blake', and in his two-part recording with Papa Charlie Jackson, "Papa Charlie and Blind Blake Talk About It", the following dialogue is heard:

Jackson: What is your right name?

Blake: My right name is Arthur Blake!

There is only one surviving photograph of him in existence.

His first recordings were made in 1926 and his records sold very well. His first solo record was "Early Morning Blues" with "West Coast Blues" on the B-side. Both are considered excellent examples of his ragtime-based guitar style and are prototypes for the burgeoning Piedmont blues. Blake made his last recordings in 1932, the end of his career aided by Paramount's bankruptcy. It is often said that the later recordings have much less sparkle. Stefan Grossman and Gayle Dean Wardlow think its possible that only one side of Blake's last record is actually by him. "Champagne Charlie Is My Name" does not actually sound like Blake's playing or singing. Allegedly, Blind Blake was drinking heavily in his final years. It is likely that this led to his early death at only 40 years. (The exact circumstances of his death are not known; Reverend Gary Davis said in an interview that he had heard Blake was killed by a streetcar.)

His complex and intricate finger picking has inspired Reverend Gary Davis, Jorma Kaukonen, Ry Cooder, Ralph McTell and many others. French singer-songwriter Francis Cabrel refers to Blind Blake in the song "Cent Ans de Plus" on the 1999 album Hors-Saison. Cabrel cites the artist as one of a number of blues influences, including Charley Patton, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon and Ma Rainey.

Other people that used the same name

It should be noted that on a few records where white jazz guitarist Eddie Lang sat in with African American groups, the record companies listed Lang as "Blind Blake". Most of those recordings, principally with Lonnie Johnson, gave Lang the name "Blind Willy Dunn".

There is also an entirely different artist who recorded multiple LPs under the name "Blind Blake". Alphonso "Blind Blake" Higgs was one of the most popular singers in The Bahamas in the 1950s, leading the house band at the Royal Victoria Hotel. His records were spread all over the U.S. by tourist fan, and several of his songs became folk standard. (Even Johnny Cash was influenced, basing his hit "Delia" on an old blues ballad from Georgia that Blake had adapted into a calypso).

References

1. The King Of Ragtime Guitar: Blind Blake & His Piano-Sounding Guitar by Jas Obrecht
2. Balfour, Alan. CD liner notes. Blind Blake, Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Volume 4, August 1929 to June 1932. DOCD–5027. Document Records, 1991.
3. Jas Obrecht 1993