(I found this image here.)
An explanation: Since the name Gary is going extinct, I thought it incumbent upon me to celebrate more notable Garys than myself. This is the twenty-first of a series!
The Reverend Gary Davis was, says the Wikipedia, "a blind African American blues & gospel singer & guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo guitar & harmonica." One of the greats of the country blues idiom, he had a long, long career, & was influential to generations of blues performers.
When did you first become aware of him? Probably some time in the 1990s, when I started listening to Bob Dylan. That lead to the discovery of blues artists, when I discovered my favorite blues is the earliest blues.
What do you mean? I mean that I prefer the blues that was just a singer & a guitar. Now, that's not a hard & fast rule, but my favorite blues performers - among which group I include Gary Davis - tend to be of that variety.
It has nothing to do with his name being Gary? Probably not. My favorite old blues performer is Blind Lemon Jefferson - or maybe Blind Willie Johnson - anyway, I never wanted to call myself "Lemon" or "Willie" because I liked them.
Or even "blind"? One of the things I liked about Gary Davis is that people used to refer to him as "the Reverend Gary Davis" more often than "Blind Gary Davis." It's not only weird to hear a blues performer called Gary, it seems strange that it was important that it was noted that the performer was blind.
Why do you think that is? Do you mean, why were so many blues musicians who were blind, or why was important to put "blind" before their name?
Either. In answer to the first question: There was a discussion about this on the Straight Dope website many years ago. I am partial to one of the first explanations, which is: "1) Blacks got poor health care, so they were more likely to go blind, & 2) Once you are blind, your vocational options are limited, but you can still sing, & still play most musical instruments."
As far as the second question goes - I dunno, maybe it was a sign of authenticity that the musician was blind? Or a way to get sympathy on the street, where most of them made their living? Who knows. It's become a blues cliché at this point.
How good was he? Just look at him at the age of 71:
I could watch that over & over. & have done so.
Was his name really Gary? I believe so, yes.
Do you know why he was named Gary? He's the oldest Gary I've discussed so far - born in 1896 - & according to this interactive web page, it was an uncommon name back then.
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