Willie Walker
Blind Willie Walker (April 1896 – March 4, 1933) was an early American blues guitarist and singer, who played the Piedmont blues style. He was described by blues musicians such as Reverend Gary Davis and Pink Anderson as an outstanding guitarist. Josh White called him the best guitarist he had ever heard, even better than Blind Blake: "Blake was quick, but Walker was like Art Tatum." In his performances, he was often accompanied by guitarist Sam Brooks. |
Birth and Death Data: Born South Carolina (state of the United States of America), Died March 4, 1933 (Greenville (county seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar
Notes: Sometimes billed as Blind Willie Walker.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | W151063 | 10-in. | 12/6/1930 | Dupree blues | Willie Walker | Male vocal solo and male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with 2 guitars | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | W151064 | 10-in. | 12/6/1930 | Rider blues | Willie Walker | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with 2 guitars | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | W151065 | 10-in. | 12/6/1930 | South Carolina rag | Willie Walker | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with 2 guitars | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | W151066 | 10-in. | 12/6/1930 | Da da da | Willie Walker | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with 2 guitars | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Walker, Willie," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106338.
Walker, Willie. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106338.
"Walker, Willie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Walker, Willie, 1896-1933 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91063102
Wikidata: Blind Willie Walker - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q884179
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/43480829
MusicBrainz: Blind Willie Walker - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/db9d7dae-7e7d-4a84-8e84-4fb2b2ef6b06
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