Blind Blake

Blind Blake was an early blues musician of the late '20s and early '30s whose intricate, syncopated style of guitar playing led him to be dubbed "King Of The Ragtime Guitar." He recorded successfully for the Paramount label, enjoying such hits as "Early Morning Blues" and "Diddy Wah Diddy (later covered by Captain Beefheart), until that label's difficulties caused him to curtail his career in 1932. He died in 1934. He has been influential on generation after generation of traditionally minded blues-based guitarists, including Reverend Gary Davis, Jorma Kaukonen, and Ry Cooder.