William Samuel McTier (1898-1959) was a pioneering blues guitarist, best known for writing enduring standards like “Statesboro Blues” and “Southern Can is Mine”.

He was born blind in one eye, but had lost the rest of his sight by the time he was a young man. He was a young musical prodigy, proving adept at performing on harmonica and accordion from an early age. During his teen years, he began playing guitar – six-string at first before moving on to his signature acoustic 12-string which he ended up using exclusively, due to its uniquely amplified sound.

In the 1920s, McTier’s mother died, and since his father had left when he was very young, this left him on his own to pursue a life as a wandering songster. In 1927, he began recording for Victor Records. McTier was credited under a number of different names, including Hot Shot Willie, Blind Sammy, Barrelhouse Sammie and Pig & Whistle Red (a reference to his habit of busking in the parking lots of Pig ‘n’ Whistle supermarkets). Eventually, he settled on the stage name Blind Willie McTell.

McTell had a laid-back style which suited his tenor voice and 12-string guitar. He would often mix the blues with ragtime music, and was an accomplished slide guitarist. McTell was extensively interviewed by Alan Lomax for the Libary of Congress' Archive of American Folk Song. For a while, he enjoyed some success, landing recording deals with Atlantic and Regal before disappointing sales and complications with his diabetes and ongoing alcoholism forced McTell’s career to a close.

McTell continued busking, however. In 1956, an Atlanta record store manager saw him playing on a sidewalk and enticed him to record a few songs for him with a bottle of corn liquor. This tape was eventually released as the Last Session in 1962.

By 1957, McTell had found a new calling as a Baptist preacher at Mt. Zion Church in Atlanta. However, two years later, he suffered a stroke and died at the age of 61. He was quietly buried and, years later, a fan paid to have a tombstone erected.

McTell grew to be a surprisingly influential figure after his death and his songs have lived on through the work of modern rock artists like The White Stripes, The Allman Brothers Band and Bob Dylan (who wrote a song for him in 1983). A blues bar named for him still operates in Atlanta, showcasing local blues musicians every night but Sunday.