Word from the hills of North Mississippi is that Blues wildcat
Jessie Mae Hemphill has passed. She wass one of the last connections to a unique Blues style that evolved north of the Delta.
Born to a musical family, her grandfather was fiddler Sid Hemphill, she played many instruments, including drums in her grandfather's fife and drum band at house parties, picnics, church gatherings, and juke joints in the area. Jessie migrated to the guitar and became renown for her relentless rhythmic style.
She released her first solo record She Wolf in 1981, and subsequent European releases earned her critical acclaim, she even won two W.C. Handy awards without a U.S. release. Her first U.S. release was Feelin' Good in 1991.
Sadly in 1993 she suffered a debilitating stroke that left her paralyzed on one side and unable to play the guitar. Her fiery personality carried her though her career and had become legendary right up to the time of her death.
Jessie Mae Hemphill Foundation
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