Dallas, TX
Blind Lemon Jefferson gets the spotlight in a trio of Dallas projects
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A century before Drake, Adele and Olivia Rodrigo sang their sad songs, Blind Lemon Jefferson showed the world what depression and heartache were really all about.
The first male blues superstar — and arguably the most important musician ever to call Dallas home — Jefferson (1893-1929) was the undisputed “Father of the Texas Blues.”
With his strong, keening tenor voice and buoyant guitar playing, he inspired everyone from B.B. King to Bob Dylan, who both recorded his prophetic “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean.” His lament about poverty, “Match Box Blues,” evolved into “Matchbox,” a hit for Carl Perkins and a single by the Beatles.
Country guitar great Chet Atkins called him “one of my first finger-picking influences.” Even post-punk rockers paid tribute to him, with Nick Cave writing the eerie “Blind Lemon Jefferson” in his honor.
Yet for all his impact on music, Jefferson is largely forgotten today.
He’s a victim of poor recording technology that makes his crackly songs sound like relics of a bygone era. He’s a phantom, due to the scarcity of facts about his life. As far as anyone knows, Jefferson never gave an interview. Just one photo of him exists.
It’s hard to love a ghost. But Dallas writer-documentarian Alan Govenar and his collaborators hope to change that with a trio of projects that shed new light on the enigmatic singer-songwriter and guitarist.
- Seeing a World Blind Lemon Never Saw runs through May 30 at the African American Museum in Fair Park and features 34 large-print color photos by Govenar, many of them taken around Jefferson’s hometown of Wortham, Texas. Phillip Collins curated the exhibit.
- The local nonprofit Deep Vellum Publishing recently issued See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, a new biography of Jefferson written by Govenar and Maryland-based ethnomusicologist Kip Lornell. Pieced together from decades of research by the authors and others, the biography also features all of the photos in Govenar’s exhibit.
- On Feb. 25, a revival of Lonesome Blues opens at Club Dada in Deep Ellum. A one-man musical starring J. Dontray Davis as Jefferson, directed by Akin Babatundé, it looks back at the singer’s life in the moments before he died at age 36. Lonesome Blues builds on Babatundé and Govenar’s earlier musical Blind Lemon Blues, which earned critical acclaim in Europe and New York City.
“Years ago, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson told Akin and me that for him, ‘Blind Lemon Jefferson was the voice of Black America at that moment,’” Govenar says in an interview.
“Ultimately, Blind Lemon is a muse to the popular imagination. He’s larger than life. An icon.”
Blind at birth, the youngest of seven children, Lemon Henry “Blind Lemon” Jefferson grew up near Wortham, 80 miles southeast of Dallas, a rural area whose isolated beauty Govenar captures nicely in the photo exhibit.
As a teen, in the early 1910s, Jefferson began traveling regularly to Dallas, where he sang and played acoustic guitar for tips near present-day Deep Ellum. He was often accompanied by two protégés: Oak Cliff-raised T-Bone Walker and Louisiana-born Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, who’d moved to Dallas around 1908, then left and returned a number of times.
“Blind Lemon and I run together for about 18 years around Dallas,” Lead Belly says in his 1947 recording, “Blind Lemon.”
While little is known about Jefferson’s Dallas days, Govenar and Lornell learned that he lived at a boarding house at 1803 S. Preston St., a road that no longer exists, near the present-day “Traveling Man” sculptures on Good-Latimer Expressway in Deep Ellum.
Jefferson was reportedly gregarious and very independent. But given the racism that pervaded Dallas in the 1920s, he was “vulnerable and no doubt extremely cautious about where he went to perform,” the authors write in See That My Grave Is Kept Clean.
“His virtuosic guitar styling and bellowing voice may have tempted whites on their way to and from work to stop, listen, and possibly flick a nickel or dime in his tin cup. But ultimately, he must have known that he needed to seek refuge in the African-American community of Old North Dallas or in his trek back to his rented room on South Preston.”
Like many Black Southerners before and after him, Jefferson traveled to Chicago for work. He recorded nearly 100 songs between 1925 and 1929 for Paramount Records, a label that had made Ma Rainey a star by the time Blind Lemon arrived.
At first, Jefferson mixed “the devil’s music” with spiritual lyrics in a string of religious songs he released under the pseudonym Deacon L.J. Bates. But the “Deacon” soon faded as Blind Lemon returned to the secular topics he knew best.
In March 1926, he recorded “Got The Blues” and “Long Lonesome Blues,” which both reportedly sold more than 100,000 copies — a word-of-mouth phenomenon in an era when many people didn’t own a radio and few stations played “race music.” Paramount released more than 40 songs by Jefferson in the coming years, with the combined sales estimated to be in the millions.
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“He was the biggest-selling male downhome blues musician of his generation. He was a superstar,” Govenar says. “At the height of his career, Blind Lemon reportedly owned two automobiles and had a chauffeur, a residence in Chicago, houses in Mexia and Dallas, and $1,500 in the bank at the time of his death. He defied all stereotypes.”
Another thing that set Lemon apart from his peers was the breadth of his songwriting.
He could temper his bleak mood with silliness, as in “Mosquito Moan.” Or he could dive headfirst into the horrors of humanity, as he does in “Hangman’s Blues,” a song discussed in both the biography and the photo exhibit.
Govenar says Jefferson probably wrote “Hangman’s Blues” about the mob killing of three Black men accused of raping and killing a 17-year-old girl in 1922 in Kirvin, Texas, near were the singer grew up. The song “not only alludes to the lynching, but it articulates the trauma of virulent racism that plagued African Americans nationwide,” he said.
In December 1929 — a year after “Hangman’s Blues” came out — Jefferson was dead, most likely of heart disease and exposure after he got lost in a heavy snowstorm in Chicago. He was just 36.
Today, his body lies in what’s now known as the Blind Lemon Jefferson Memorial Cemetery in Wortham. A marker quotes the lyrics from “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” but the exact location of his grave remains unknown — a fitting end, perhaps, for an artist whose entire life is shrouded in questions.
Who knows what Jefferson might have accomplished if he’d lived deep into the 20th century?
Would he have stayed in Chicago and teamed up with Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters? Would he have followed T-Bone Walker to L.A. and traded his acoustic guitar for a Gibson electric? Or would he have returned to Dallas and lived long enough to mentor Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan?
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Davis, who portrays Blind Lemon in the Lonesome Blues musical, says questions like that don’t matter: The singer’s tale is compelling just the way it is.
“Playing Blind Lemon has been life-changing for me. Being able to tell this heartfelt story about a man who lived his life unapologetically, a man who pushed through all obstacles and proved determination and hard work pays off, is very liberating,” the Dallas actor says.
“Blind Lemon and I are from the same area and have a lot of similarities. I honestly feel like he is speaking to me, using me as a vessel to tell his story and encourage a new generation.”
Details
Lonesome Blues opens its run of weekend matinee shows on Sunday, Feb. 25, and continues through April 7 at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., Dallas. For tickets, visit lonesomebluesmusical.com.
“Seeing a World Blind Lemon Never Saw” runs through May 30 at the African American Museum in Fair Park. The museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean is available through online retailers or at deepvellum.org.
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LB Josiah Trotter had a Top 30 visit with the Dallas Cowboys.
Former Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter is working out for the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, according to his March 27 Instagram story.
If Dallas selects the 20-year-old linebacker, who is the son of Philadelphia Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter and the brother of current Eagles LB Jeremiah Jr., it would put two brothers on opposite sides of one of the NFL’s most heated rivalries.
Jeremiah Sr. spent the best years of his 12-season NFL career in Philadelphia, earning four Pro Bowl nods, a first-team All-Pro nod and induction into the Eagles Hall of Fame. Jeremiah Jr. was a fifth-round pick by the Eagles in the 2024 draft and won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie.
Now, a third member of the family is about to enter the league, and it’s clear the Cowboys have a close eye on him.
More on Dallas Cowboys Having LB Josiah Trotter in for a Top 30 Visit Ahead of NFL Draft
GettyThe Dallas Cowboys are bringing LB Josiah Trotter in for a Top 30 visit ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Trotter’s college career was brief but sharply ascending. He signed with West Virginia in 2022 and redshirted the 2023 season after tearing his ACL during spring practices — a significant setback that delayed his debut but did nothing to diminish his trajectory.
When he finally got on the field in 2024, Trotter immediately established himself as a tone-setter. He finished the season with 92 tackles, four tackles for loss, half a sack, an interception and two passes defended, earning Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the Football Writers Association of America freshman All-American team.
Looking for a bigger stage, Trotter transferred to Missouri, and the move to the SEC only elevated his game. Playing in the tougher conference, he finished with 84 tackles (13 for loss), 2.0 sacks and a pass defended in 2025, earning first-team All-SEC recognition. Across two seasons as a starter, Trotter compiled 176 tackles and 2.5 sacks while playing for two different programs — a testament to his ability to step in and produce regardless of scheme.
Trotter also met with Dallas at the scouting combine, so the Cowboys’ interest is clearly there.
A Closer Look at the Cowboys LB Room Heading Into 2026 NFL Draft
Dallas’ linebacker room was arguably its weakest position group in 2025. DeMarvion Overshown, their most talented option at the position, has now suffered season-ending knee injuries in back-to-back years, including a torn ACL, MCL and PCL in December 2024 that cost him the first 10 games of the 2025 season. He returned in Week 11 but went down again with another serious knee injury in Week 16.
Overshown enters 2026 in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Cowboys have not committed to an extension. Dallas released veteran Logan Wilson this offseason, and Kenneth Murray departed after a relatively underwhelming year-long stint.
Drafting Josiah would mean a Trotter lining up on both sides of the NFC East’s nastiest rivalry — one brother anchoring the middle for the Eagles, the other doing the same in Dallas.
Considering new defensive coordinator Christian Parker is installing a 3-4 base defense that puts a premium on physical, smart players over the middle, there’s little doubt Dallas will be adding to the position in the draft. The only question is which LB(s) they’ll wind up with.
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Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, in a CBS 11 interview, talked about City Hall, ongoing discussions to keep the Mavericks and Stars in the city and his trust of the latest cost estimates to repair the nearly 50-year-old seat of Dallas government.
In a 16-minute interview published Friday, Johnson directly responded to criticism about his focus as the city’s top elected official, insisting he is “fully engaged in everything that goes on around here.”
“I just know what I do every day, which is I wake up early in the morning, come to [City Hall] and give this city everything I have,” Johnson said in the interview.
Johnson said he accepted the latest City Hall repair estimates, including a $1 billion price tag over 20 years, calling the current building “not a great place to work” for employees.
He dismissed skepticism about the numbers, arguing the firms providing them are reputable and no better alternative exists.
He noted the City Council recently authorized City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to explore all options — staying, repairing, or relocating — before making a final decision. His priority, he said, is doing “the best thing for the taxpayers.”
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Johnson insisted the process has been “the definition of transparent,” citing public meetings and independent studies as proof.
While he respects the opinions of former mayors Mike Rawlings, Ron Kirk, and Tom Leppert, who argue relocating City Hall could revitalize downtown, Johnson said he won’t defer to their views.
He said he won’t commit to a scenario without seeing more data and the city manager’s report on private development interest in the City Hall site in May.
“I want the city manager to go through the exercise of actually exploring what private development options there would be, what interest would there be in this site,” the mayor said. “And if there are really great economic development opportunities for the city that would be unlocked by us leaving this site, I would be very, very compelled by that.”
Johnson confirmed active negotiations are underway to try to keep the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars in the city but declined to share details, citing the need to protect Dallas’ leverage in economic development deals.
He expressed confidence the city will “work this out” to retain both teams. The mayor shrugged off Plano’s reported discussions with the Stars, calling it competition that doesn’t concern him.
“I welcome anybody’s effort to compete with us,” Johnson said. “But I feel good about what we are going to be able to offer and what we’re able to do to keep our teams here.”
Council members respond
Council member Adam Bazaldua, one of six elected officials who have been pushing to revisit repair estimates, responded to clips from Johnson’s interview online.
“We owe it to our taxpayers to get a third party opinion and scrutinize the assessment. Anything less is subpar leadership,” Bazaldua posted it on X.
Bazaldua also highlighted a Mar. 26 post where council member Cara Mendelsohn questioned engineering firm AECOM’s repair cost estimates Wednesday.
In her post, Mendelsohn shared a 2023 Dallas Morning News article about the engineering firm having to pay a $11.8 million settlement for filing false claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that increased the price tag of repair and construction of schools in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“No matter what it is, how old it is, how well it functions, their estimate on city hall includes complete replacement and upgrades of every system, pipe, wire, window, floor, fixture, toilet, sink, because some folks want fancier government offices and want to build it to a Class A brand new standard,” Mendelsohn said in her post.
Council member Paula Blackmon told The News she agreed with Johnson that the city wants to keep the Stars and Mavericks in Dallas, but still wanted to have another review of City Hall’s condition and another set of revised estimates.
“I don’t trust that information and I will continue to ask to validate those numbers,” Blackmon said. “I don’t deny these groups put in the work, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t ask for a deeper understanding of how we got there.”
City Hall emails
In the CBS 11 interview, Johnson said he wouldn’t address a series of articles in The Dallas Morning News reviewing 5,000 pages of City Hall emails, which revealed undisclosed alternative City Hall site tours, AT&T’s criticism of city leadership and instances where business leaders struggled to reach him.
Johnson dismissed the articles, saying he “can’t spend time going back and forth with any media outlet about some emails.”
It’s at least the second time the mayor has refused to publicly discuss what came from the cache of emails. In his weekly newsletter to residents on March 15, he called coverage of news from the emails “tabloid-style articles” that were trying to frame routine city business as “scandalous revelations.”
A News review of 5,000 pages of emails exchanged over the past year among city officials, consultants, and others involved in City Hall’s future uncovered several key findings, including:
- City officials arranged private tours of at least 15 potential City Hall relocation sites — including Founders Square, The Epic and Red Bird Mall — for a select group of council members, without public disclosure.
- Before announcing a move to Plano, AT&T CEO John Stankey questioned Dallas’ “effective governance”, signaling concerns as the company explored suburban options.
- Emails reveal Scotiabank’s CEO couldn’t reach Mayor Johnson to thank him for the company’s Dallas headquarters deal, forcing city staff to intervene before a callback.
- Oak View Group, Fair Park’s former operator, is seeking $5 million from Dallas, alleging the city breached its contract after terminating their agreement.
- City leaders feared WFAA-TV might leave downtown after Dallas moved to seize the station’s parking lot for convention center expansion.
- The Dallas Economic Development Corp.’s CEO clashed with city staff over the group’s role in business recruitment, with emails exposing tensions over strategy and influence.
Staff writer Devyani Chhetri contributed to this report.
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