“Outside Woman Blues” - Blind Joe Reynolds (1929)
Blind Joe (Willie) Reynolds is thought to have been born in Tallulah, Louisiana in 1904, although his death certificate states his birthplace as Arkansas in 1900.
Reynolds was blinded by a shotgun blast to the face in Louisiana in the mid-late 1920s, which resulted in the physical loss of his eyes. Despite this handicap, “Blind Joe” became known for his distinctive bottleneck style as well as his reported accuracy with a pistol, with which it is said he could judge the position of a target by sound alone.
Reynolds is known to have been polyamorous, as is apparent from a number of his recordings. He was also known to be outspoken and flamboyant, often using his music as a medium to attack society.
It is uncertain what name Reynolds’ was given at birth. Whilst it is widely thought to have been Joe Sheppard, his nephew Henry Millage claimed it was Joe Leonard. Throughout his career, “Blind Joe” travelled the country performing under various aliases as a way of evading the police, as he had served two jail sentences in his early life, as well as “escaping enemies”.
In March 1968, Reynolds was admitted to a hospital in Monroe, Louisiana following a stroke, where he died on March 10. The cause of death was determined to be pneumonia.
Reynolds’ “Ninety Nine Blues”/”Cold Woman Blues” 78rpm recording for Paramount was known as the “Holy Grail” of blues records among collectors due to it rarity. In fact, it was thought to be lost until 2000 when a copy, which had been purchased in 1976 at a flea market for one dollar, surfaced. It subsequently sold privately for $5,500. It remains the only known copy in existence
The song “Outside Woman Blues” would later find fame when it was recorded by Cream for their 1967 album “Disreali Gears”. The group became aware of the song after guitarist Eric Clapton heard it featured on a Blues compilation album. Curiously, on their version, Cream gave the writing credit to “Arthur Reynolds”.
“Outside Woman Blues” was recorded in November 1929 and released on the “Paramount” label.
