Biography
Jessie Mae Hemphill (October 18, 1923 – July 22, 2006) was a pioneering American electric guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became a central figure in the North Mississippi hill country blues tradition. Born near Como and Senatobia, Mississippi, Hemphill was immersed in a musical family lineage that included her grandfather Sid Hemphill, a renowned multi-instrumentalist who recorded for folklorist Alan Lomax. She began playing guitar at age seven and participated in local fife-and-drum bands, learning drums and guitar from family members and performing at community picnics and gatherings[5][1][3].
Although Hemphill played semi-professionally in Memphis during the 1950s and 1960s, her career did not gain significant momentum until the late 1970s, when she was recorded by ethnomusicologist David Evans and began releasing albums through High Water Recording Company. Her music is characterized by strong, repetitive dance rhythms—a style she called the "hypnotic boogie"—and minimal harmonic variation, rooted deeply in the hill country blues tradition. She often accompanied herself with a tambourine tied to her foot, creating a distinctive one-woman-band sound[5][4][3].
Hemphill's legacy is marked by her role as one of the few female blues artists to achieve international recognition in the genre. She performed across the United States and Europe, won multiple W.C. Handy Blues Awards, and inspired a new generation of musicians interested in the raw, rhythmic power of hill country blues. Despite a stroke in 1993 that limited her ability to play guitar, she continued to contribute to music through vocals and percussion, cementing her status as a foundational figure in American blues[5][1].
Fun Facts
- Jessie Mae Hemphill often performed with a tambourine tied to her foot, creating a unique one-woman-band sound[4][5].
- Her grandfather, Sid Hemphill, was recorded by Alan Lomax in 1942, making the family a cornerstone of North Mississippi musical history[1][5].
- Hemphill won the W.C. Handy Award for best traditional female blues artist three times: in 1987, 1988, and 1994[1][5].
- After a stroke in 1993 left her unable to play guitar, she continued performing by singing and playing tambourine[5].
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Sid Hemphill - Her paternal grandfather, taught her drums and guitar, led the fife-and-drum band she joined as a child. (Family fife-and-drum band performances, Alan Lomax recordings (1942)) [1930s–1940s]
- Rosa Lee Hill - Her aunt, taught her guitar and influenced her vocal style. (Family gatherings, church performances) [1930s–1940s]
Key Collaborators
- David Evans - Ethnomusicologist who recorded and produced her first major sessions, helped launch her recording career. (High Water Recording Company sessions, field recordings) [1979–1980s]
- Abe Young - Drum corps collaborator, performed together in Evans-assembled Mississippi drum corps. (Mississippi drum corps, TV appearances) [Early 1980s]
- Othar Turner - Fife-and-drum band veteran, performed together in drum groups and TV appearances. (Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood performance) [Early 1980s]
Artists Influenced
- R.L. Burnside - Hemphill's rhythmic, modal style influenced Burnside's approach to hill country blues. (Collaborative performances, stylistic influence on Burnside's recordings) [1980s–2000s]
- Junior Kimbrough - Inspired by Hemphill's hypnotic boogie and modal guitar style. (Descendants participated in Hemphill's later recordings) [1980s–2000s]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| She-Wolf | 1981-01-01 | Album |
| Feelin' Good | 1990-01-01 | Album |
| Mississippi Blues Festival (Blues Reference) | 2003 | Album |
| Run Get My Shotgun | 2019-11-15 | Album |
| Get Right Blues | 2003-11-01 | Album |
| Feelin' Good | 1997-07-22 | Album |
| She-Wolf | 1981-01-01 | Album |
| Un prophète (Bande originale du film) | 2009-08-26 | Album |
| Get Right Blues | 2003-01-01 | Album |
| Dare You to Do It Again | 2004-02-24 | Album |
| Heritage Of The Blues: Shake It, Baby | 2003-06-24 | Album |
| Un Prophète (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2009-08-24 | Album |
| Un Prophète (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2009-08-24 | Album |
| Un Prophète (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2009 | Album |
| Dare You to Do It Again | 2004-02-24 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Standing In My Doorway Crying (She-Wolf)
- I'm So Glad You Don't Know What's On My Mind (take 1) (Mississippi Blues Festival (Blues Reference))
- She-Wolf (She-Wolf)
- Tell Me You Love Me (Feelin' Good)
- Jump, Baby, Jump (She-Wolf)
- Crawdad Hole (She-Wolf)
- My Daddy's Blues (Feelin' Good)
- Lord, Help The Poor And Needy (Feelin' Good)
- Black Cat Bone (She-Wolf)
- Standing in My Doorway Crying (Black Snake Moan: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
External Links
Tags: #blues, #country-blues, #delta-blues
References
Heard on WWOZ
Jessie Mae Hemphill has been played 5 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 9, 2026 | 14:31 | Tell Me You LOve Mefrom ST | The Blues Breakdown | |
| Nov 27, 2025 | 22:34 | Bullyin' Wellfrom Best Of | Kitchen Sinkw/ Jennifer Brady | |
| Nov 6, 2025 | 23:46 | FEELIN' GOODfrom Heritage of the Blues: Shake it Baby | Kitchen Sinkw/ Jennifer Brady | |
| Oct 30, 2025 | 21:21 | Shake It, Babyfrom Feelin' Good | R&Bw/ Your Cousin Dimitri | |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 14:34 | Train Trainfrom Run and get My Shotgun | The Blues Breakdown |