Talk:Blind Willie McTell

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Untitled[edit]

Pending more information, I have removed the reference to the death of McTell's wife ("In 1959, a year after the death of his wife of 24 years, he died of a stroke") as McTell apparently left a widow behind him. Chris k 22:15, 2 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, he was still married to his first and only wife, Kate McTell when he died. Stevage 01:19, 11 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

His date of birth and blindness[edit]

The article states without any equivocation that McTell was born on 5 May 1901. Older accounts have him born in 1898, presumably based on his original gravestone that misidentifies him as Eddie McTear, and also on John Lomax's statement in the 1940 recording that McTell was then 42 years old. But Michael Gray has shown pretty conclusively that he must have been born in 1903 or perhaps 1904, since he is recorded in the census of April 1910 as being six years old. His mother, Minnie Dorsey, was born in October 1887, making any earlier date very unlikely. The 5 May date comes from files held by the local blind association in the 1970s, making it more likely than any other date (since no other is known), but again not certain.

The article also says that McTell was blind in one eye and lost the sight in the other by late childhood, but there are conflicting reports about his blindness, and it seems most likely that he lost his sight (virtually) completely in infancy if he wasn't actually born blind. It is possible that he could perceive light levels through one eye. 90.194.154.240 (talk) 09:21, 14 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

When did he learn to play the six-string guitar?[edit]

What does "learned to play the six-string guitar as soon as he could." mean? I also learned to play it as soon as I could, given my opportunities and inclinations, but I have the feeling a word or two have been dropped here. As soon as he could what? Get up the gumption? Get his hands on one? Eeksypeeksy (talk) 12:00, 27 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Reasons for recording under multiple aliases and labels[edit]

There should be a written rationale for McTell's reasons to write and record both under different aliases and on different labels. Ideally, each choice should be noted and referenced. Few readers realize how difficult it was in the American South- and the music business in general for African-Americans who did not have either the education, business savvy, or legal means to receive their fair due in royalties, promotion from publicists from the labels, and often, even pay for the record itself for recording it! These issues continue today, however, the results aren't as blatant or severe. It should be placed in the text! Other musicians such as Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix were targets in such a fashion. --Leahtwosaints (talk) 20:15, 31 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"Blind Willie McTell" the song[edit]

The song was written by Bob Dylan during the early 1980s when Dylan was experimenting with new musicians during his "Infidels" period (including, among others, Mark Knopfler, Allan Clarke, and Mick Taylor, playing slide guitar, Taylor mentioned Dylan in a biographical interview on You Tube that Dylan had been the most gracious and patient person he'd worked with thus far, and that he'd spent two 3 year chunks of time doing session work for him. However, at a point when they were in the studio, Dylan actually wrote the song there. Taylor felt the possibilities in the song right away, and asked if he might record it, which he did, with his own blues rock touch. It remains one of his staples today, and is on his first solo album, *I think*, but on a solo album he recorded soon after. --Leahtwosaints (talk) 20:26, 31 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Considerable bias[edit]

Much of paragraph three is not very neutral. For example, "...their recordings are some of the most outstanding examples of country blues guitar duets." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.157.108.88 (talk) 03:08, 26 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]


How is this biased?? The recordings ARE some of the most outstanding examples of blues guitar duets! --InTheGutterLookingAtThe Stars (talk) 18:52, 24 July 2012 (UTC)InTheGutterLookingAtTheStars[reply]

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