Born near Wortham, Blind Lemon Jefferson played guitar and sang spirituals and blues as a young street musician. He composed many of his songs and had a distinctive vocal style. From Dallas' Deep Elm District he went to Chicago in the 1920s with a talent scout and made 79 great jazz and blues recordings. He was one of America's outstanding original musicians and influenced Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Bessie Smith, and other great artists.