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leatherwork, sewing, and reading Braille. In 1925 he went to New York, and attended

a small blind school, before moving on to yet another school in Michigan. It seems
that he played very little during those years, especially as his fingertips needed to
remain soft in order to read Braille.

GAB

Mission Statement

The Georgia Academy for the Blind provides quality education services to
Georgia’s students with visual impairments and/or visual impairments in
conjunction with other disabilities to prepare them to achieve their highest
level of independence in transition to college and career readiness.

His roughly five years of further education seems to have finished by 1927, as it was
in October of that year Willie signed an exclusive Victor recording contract, and
recorded four songs, followed by another four the next year. By this time he was settled
in Atlanta, which was regionally the most important centre for recording blues, gospel

and hillbilly music. His records sold moderately well locally, although apparently a
little below expectations.

Although based in Atlanta, Willie travelled widely, as far as New York and Chicago,
always seeming to know where friends or family would be able to assist him, and
confident using buses and trains. He also communicated by telephone, telegraph and

letter, in order to book out of town jobs.

Like many ‘bluesmen’, he wasn’t just a blues singer, but would play whatever people
wanted to hear. Black and white families would invite him into their homes, where

he would play spirituals and sentimental love songs, churches would have him playing
gospel music, he entertained at school assemblies, and played blues and rags at the
rougher bars, tobacco warehouses and hot dog stands. He would play solo, or with
various partners, some of whom were also blind.

In Atlanta he was a regular matinee act at the 81 Theatre, and would play at stores in
the black business district, and like his 12 string contemporary, Barbecue Bob, also

sang for tips at the barbecue stands. He serenaded customers at the white Pig ‘n’
Whistle, and by the 1950s was also working at another white restaurant, The Blue
Lantern.