John Jackson

Throughout most of his years, John Jackson performed at rural house parties across Virginia or simply strummed for his own pleasure at home. During the 1960s he discovered the folk revival, which quickly established him as the Washington, D.C. region’s most cherished blues performer. Widely regarded as one of the premier traditional Piedmont guitarists, he embodied the songster tradition in its purest form. His wide-ranging selections drew heavily from the styles of guitar heroes Willie Walker—who once visited his father’s home—Blind Boy Fuller, and especially Blind Blake. In addition to the blues, rags, and dance pieces linked to those masters, he rendered ballads, country numbers, and tunes he called “old folk songs,” among them “The Midnight Special.” Confident fingerpicking, a down-home Virginia accent, and an infectious sense of humor gave his shows and recordings a distinctive appeal. Equally celebrated as a world-class storyteller and party-thrower, the National Heritage Award-winning musician issued a half-dozen albums and traveled internationally whenever he chose. Liver cancer claimed his life on January 20, 2002.