Delta Blind Billy

Delta Blind Billy, or Blind Billy, was an American Delta blues artist and outlaw. As a traveling bluesman in Mississippi, he performed with his contemporaries Arthur Big Boy Crudup and Papa Charlie McCoy. One of his notable songs, "Hidden Man Blues", was an early variant of "Man of Constant Sorrow", with the following lyric: "Man of sorrow all my days / Left the home where I been raised." He recorded his version of "Man of Constant Sorrow" in the 1930s. His play on "Man of Constant Sorrow" suggests he traveled extensively, possibly through Appalachia. He is known for recording songs about being an outlaw, despite being blind. Delta Blind Billy is not to be confused with the earlier musician, Blind Billy, who was a former slave.

Legacy

Many version of "Man of Constant Sorrow" have been released and remains a popular song in folk/bluegrass circles. The modern R&B artist Adia Victoria released the song "Sea of Sand" referencing Delta Blind Billy in the chorus.