Blind Boy Fuller (born Fulton Allen) was an American blues guitarist and vo… Read Full Bio ↴Blind Boy Fuller (born Fulton Allen) was an American blues guitarist and vocalist. Fuller was born in July 10, 1907 in Wadesboro, North Carolina and died February 13, 1941 in Durham, North Carolina. He played a steel National resonator guitar.
As a boy Fuller learned to play the guitar and also learned from older singers the field hollers, country rags, and traditional songs and blues popular in poor, rural areas. It is reported that around 1926 he suffered from ulcerated eyes and became partially blind. His vision continued to deteriorate until 1928, when he was completely blind.
He started playing at informal gatherings and as he grew older, the opportunities for a blind black man being limited, he turned to getting what employment he could as a singer and entertainer at dives, street corners, house parties, and dances for pay.
He became well known enough that in 1935 he received an offer to record. Over a period of five years, Fuller made over 120 sides and his recordings appeared on several labels.
His style of singing was rough and direct, and his lyrics explicit and uninhibited as he drew from from every aspect of his experience as an underpriviledged person on the streets -- pawnshops, jailhouses, sickness, death -- with an honesty that lacked sentimentality. Although he was not sophisticated, his artistry as a folk singer lay in the honesty and integrity of his self-expression. His songs contained desire, love, jealousy, disappointment, menace and humor.[1]
Blind Boy Fuller was one of the most popular of the Piedmont blues artists that counted Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell and Blind Blake amongst its number. He was so popular that when he died, his protégé Brownie McGhee reluctantly began a short lived career as Blind Boy Fuller No. 2 so that Columbia Records could cash in on his popularity. His song, 'Trucking My Blues Away', also gave America the famous saying 'Keep On Trucking'. He was often accompanied on harmonica by Sonny Terry.
Blind Boy Fuller died from a severe bladder infection in 1942, when he was only 33 years old. Blind Boy Fuller was an expressive vocalist and a masterful guitar player, best remembered for his uptempo ragtime hits "Rag Mama Rag," "Trucking My Blues Away," and "Step It Up and Go." At the same time he was capable of deeper material, and his versions of "Lost Lover Blues", "Rattlesnakin' Daddy" and "Mamie" are as deep as most Delta blues. Because of his popularity, he may have been overexposed on records, yet most of his songs remained close to tradition and much of his repertoire and style is kept alive by North Carolina and Virginia artists today.
The location of the final resting place of Blind Boy Fuller is Grove Hill Cemetery, located on private property in Durham, North Carolina. State records indicate that this was once an official cemetery, and Fuller's interment is recorded. The only remaining headstone is that of Mary Caston Langey.
Blind Boy Fuller has been recognized on two different plaques in the City of Durham. The North Carolina Division of Archives and History plaque is located a few miles north of Fuller's gravesite, along Fayetteville St. in Durham. The City of Durham officially recognized Fuller on July 16, 2001, and the commemorating plaque is located along the American Tobacco Trail, adjacent to the property where Fuller's unmarked grave is located (several hundred feet east of Fayetteville St.).
As a boy Fuller learned to play the guitar and also learned from older singers the field hollers, country rags, and traditional songs and blues popular in poor, rural areas. It is reported that around 1926 he suffered from ulcerated eyes and became partially blind. His vision continued to deteriorate until 1928, when he was completely blind.
He started playing at informal gatherings and as he grew older, the opportunities for a blind black man being limited, he turned to getting what employment he could as a singer and entertainer at dives, street corners, house parties, and dances for pay.
He became well known enough that in 1935 he received an offer to record. Over a period of five years, Fuller made over 120 sides and his recordings appeared on several labels.
His style of singing was rough and direct, and his lyrics explicit and uninhibited as he drew from from every aspect of his experience as an underpriviledged person on the streets -- pawnshops, jailhouses, sickness, death -- with an honesty that lacked sentimentality. Although he was not sophisticated, his artistry as a folk singer lay in the honesty and integrity of his self-expression. His songs contained desire, love, jealousy, disappointment, menace and humor.[1]
Blind Boy Fuller was one of the most popular of the Piedmont blues artists that counted Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell and Blind Blake amongst its number. He was so popular that when he died, his protégé Brownie McGhee reluctantly began a short lived career as Blind Boy Fuller No. 2 so that Columbia Records could cash in on his popularity. His song, 'Trucking My Blues Away', also gave America the famous saying 'Keep On Trucking'. He was often accompanied on harmonica by Sonny Terry.
Blind Boy Fuller died from a severe bladder infection in 1942, when he was only 33 years old. Blind Boy Fuller was an expressive vocalist and a masterful guitar player, best remembered for his uptempo ragtime hits "Rag Mama Rag," "Trucking My Blues Away," and "Step It Up and Go." At the same time he was capable of deeper material, and his versions of "Lost Lover Blues", "Rattlesnakin' Daddy" and "Mamie" are as deep as most Delta blues. Because of his popularity, he may have been overexposed on records, yet most of his songs remained close to tradition and much of his repertoire and style is kept alive by North Carolina and Virginia artists today.
The location of the final resting place of Blind Boy Fuller is Grove Hill Cemetery, located on private property in Durham, North Carolina. State records indicate that this was once an official cemetery, and Fuller's interment is recorded. The only remaining headstone is that of Mary Caston Langey.
Blind Boy Fuller has been recognized on two different plaques in the City of Durham. The North Carolina Division of Archives and History plaque is located a few miles north of Fuller's gravesite, along Fayetteville St. in Durham. The City of Durham officially recognized Fuller on July 16, 2001, and the commemorating plaque is located along the American Tobacco Trail, adjacent to the property where Fuller's unmarked grave is located (several hundred feet east of Fayetteville St.).
I'm a Rattlesnakin' Daddy
Blind Boy Fuller Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Blind Boy Fuller:
Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you got…
Big House Bound Then I sent for my friends, "Please spare the rod" Then…
Blue and Worried Man Went home last night, heard a noise, I asked my…
Brownskin Sugar Plum I got me a brownskin woman, she don't pay me…
Careless Love Love, oh love, oh careless love You've fly through my head…
Cat Man Blues Went home last night, heard a noise, I asked my…
Crooked Woman Blues I ain't never loved but a thousand women in my…
Flyin Airplane Blues Wanna get in my airplane Wanna get in my airplane Wanna ride…
Homesick and Lonesome Blues I lied down last night mama, I tried to take…
I Crave My Pigmeat Now, pigmeat is taken today, today, something I do crave Now…
I Want Some Of Your Pie Says, I'm not jokin' an' I'm gonna tell you no…
I'm a Stranger Here I'm a stranger, just blowed in your town So I want…
It Doesn't Matter Baby Oo-oo-ooh, oh Lordy Lord Oo-oo-ooh, oh Lordy Lord It doesn't…
Jivin' Woman Blues I ain't never loved but a thousand women in my…
Little Woman You're So Sweet Hey mama, hey gal, don't you hear me callin' you? You're…
Log Cabin Blues Rag Mama rag, can't believe its true. Rag Mama Rag, what…
Lost Lover Blues Said I went down by that freight depot And that freight…
Meat Shakin' Woman I got a big fat woman, grease shakin' on her…
My Brownskin Sugar Plum I got me a brownskin woman, she don't pay me…
Pack It Up and Go Got a little girl, little and low, She used to love…
Pistol Slapper Blues Know my dog anywhere I hear him bark Well I know…
Rag Mama Rag Rag Mama rag, can't believe its true. Rag Mama Rag, what…
Rag, Mama, Rag Rag Mama rag I can't believe its true Rag Mama rag What did…
Runaway Man Blues Went home last night, heard a noise, I asked my…
Shake It Baby Oo-oo-ooh, oh Lordy Lord Oo-oo-ooh, oh Lordy Lord It doesn't…
Sissy Man Blues Rag Mama rag, can't believe its true. Rag Mama Rag, what…
Snake Woman Blues I ain't never loved but a thousand women in my…
Stingy Mama Stingy mama, don't be so stingy with me I say, stingy…
Sweet Man Blues Went home last night, heard a noise, I asked my…
Thousand Woman Blues I ain't never loved but a thousand women in my…
Tom Cat Blues Went home last night, heard a noise, I asked my…
Truckin' Little Woman Hey mama, hey gal, don't you hear me callin' you? You're…
Truckin' My Blues Away I got a gal here in this town, she's the…
Walking My Troubles Away Paper boy hollerin', "Extra, have you read the news?" Shot…
Weeping Willow Lord, that weeping willow, and that mourning dove. That weep…
What's That Smells Like Fish "What's that smell like fish, mama?" "Food, if you really wa…
When You Are Gone This war is raging, what are you men going to…
Working Man Blues Went home last night, heard a noise, I asked my…
You Never Can Tell Say you can't never tell, what's on these women's mind Say…
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Batts Brown Sauce
Rock n roll masterpiece 20 years beforehand, yes! It existed before Elvis, Jerry Lee, etc. because both black and white singers like Robert Johnson, Moon Mullican, Big Joe Turner and Bill Monroe existed and did it. Blind Boy Fuller was perhaps even there before all and this is wonderful.
MrPharmacist1982
This is about as real that music gets.
Mitch Parel
One of his best.should be alot more well known 😌😋
JuggWalker
This man is incredible. Id Love to have to have meet him even though he mightve been kinda crazy 😂 just so innovative a pioneer
Debashis De
Love it!
TheRealJohnnyReb
The Hawk had a big regional hit with this one in 1951. Very good version!
Cora Visser
Brilliant blues no more no less fantastic played.
Ernie Buchinski
I love how the term "rattlesnakin' daddy" refers to both the first person and third person at various places in the song. If I didn't know better, I'd almost think that there were some sexual connotations underlying that, ha, ha.
Thanks so much for the post - great stuff from Mr. Fuller!
Martin Basic
No!
Jacques Drouin
I visited the small cemetery where Blind Boy Fuller is buried in Dunham, North Carolina, to pay my respects. His grave is unknown. I became aware of Mr. Fuller when I saw a beautiful mural last week n his birth town of Wadesboro, North Carolina. He lives on in the amazing sound he left behind. Not a shabby guitar picker either.