His blindness never became a major impediment, however, and it was said that his sense of hearing and touch were extraordinary. He was probably born blind, although early in his life he could perceive light in one eye. McTell was born in Thomson, Georgia, near Augusta, and raised near Statesboro. What is clear is that he was born into a family filled with musicians - his mother and his father both played guitar, as did one of his uncles, and he was also related to Georgia Tom Dorsey, who later became the Rev. ![]() His family name was, so far as we know, McTier or McTear, and the origins of the "McTell" name are unclear. Much of what we do know about him was learned only years after his death, from family members and acquaintances. And those may not have been all of his pseudonyms - we don't even know what he chose to call himself, although "Blind Willie" was his preferred choice among friends. A major figure with a local following in Atlanta from the 1920s onward, he recorded dozens of sides throughout the '30s under a multitude of names - all the better to juggle "exclusive" relationships with many different record labels at once - including Blind Willie, Blind Sammie, Hot Shot Willie, and Georgia Bill, as a backup musician to Ruth Mary Willis. ![]() Willie Samuel McTell was one of the blues' greatest guitarists, and also one of the finest singers ever to work in blues.
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