Lonzie Thomas of Lee County, Alabama, who was blind and played the streets.
Photo: Frances Benjamin Johnston; Lonzie Thomas outside his home, Lee County, Alabama, 1980, by George Mitchell
From The George Mitchell Collection...
Recorded in Lee County, Alabama, early 1980s; Lonzie Thomas, vocal and guitar
Born in Lee County, Alabama, in 1921, Lonzie Thomas learned guitar from watching his father. Thomas was shot in the face at the age of 22, after which he became more interested in playing and singing. "It was something to keep my mind off worrying," Thomas told Mitchell. He began playing parties, and on the streets of Opelika and Columbus for tips. Being a musician was one of the few ways a blind man could earn money in Thomas' time, although by the time Mitchell recorded him, Thomas was playing mostly for the occasional friend or house guest. Thomas was extremely poor even by the standards of the Deep South. The trailer park he lived in had a fountain in the middle that all the tenants shared and Thomas and his longtime musical partner, Eddie B. Hodge, who lived up the road, would play together for visitors, although no one has been able to locate Hodge since Mitchell recorded him. Thomas remained a well-known player in the Chattahoochee Valley area, mentioned in interviews with Robert Thomas and George Daniel, and appeared at the Chattahoochee Folk Festival at its early years. ~ Sam Sweet
He lived in what was basically a utility shack, in the yard of his daughter's house. His daughter was his caretaker and was very protective of him. George wanted to take Lonzie to record with Albert Macon and Robert Thomas, and the daughter was hesitant to let Lonzie got in a car with George, or with anybody, but George reassured her. So George helped him in the car, and put the car in reverse and drove directly into a nearby ditch. Lonzie turned and said, "Man, George, you well may as well let me drive!" ~ Fred Fussel (from the liner notes)
we don’t often post music links from @1264doghouse but here’s an unusual and very special choice
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