Jessie Mae Hemphill has passed away. She was about 72 years of age, although accounts of her birth date differ. Hemphill came from a rich family musical heritage. Her great-grandfather was a noted fiddler in Mississippi. Her grandfather played many instruments and, like her aunt who played blues, was recorded by Alan Lomax. Hemphill's career started slowly. Her first full album came out in Europe; but success there and tours there led to recognition here, and her career was definitely on an uphill track when she suffered a stroke in 1993. Although she could no longer play guitar and did not tour any more, she did rebound a perform as a singer around her home in Memphis, and maintained an optimistic attitude for the remainder of her life. Hide full description

Jessie Mae Hemphill has passed away. She was about 72 years of age, although accounts of her birth date differ. Hemphill came from a rich family musical heritage. Her great-grandfather was a noted fiddler in Mississippi. Her grandfather played many instruments and, like her aunt who played blues, was recorded by Alan Lomax. Hemphill's career started slowly. Her first full album came out in Europe; but success there and tours there led to recognition here, and her career was definitely on an uphill track when she suffered a stroke in 1993. Although she could no longer play guitar and did not tour any more, she did rebound a perfor...
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