Blackwell was part Cherokee, born in the early years of the last century in Syracuse, um, not in Sicily but in North Carolina, as were the other 16 children of Payton and Elizabeth Blackwell.

Although his father played the violin, Blackwell (being the contrarian he was) taught himself to play the guitar and built his first instrument using cigar boxes, pieces of wood, and wires.

Despite being known for his introverted and difficult temperament, Blackwell teamed up with pianist Leroy Carr, whom he had met around the mid-1920s, and the two embarked on a fruitful musical relationship, recording “How Long, How Long Blues” in '28, which became the most important blues hit of that year.

Between '28 and '35, Blackwell and Carr toured across the Midwest and the Southern States, becoming true stars in the blues music scene, recording more than 100 tracks. Their last collaboration was in February '35; during a session, the two had an argument and left the studio in the middle of the recording. Two months later, Blackwell learned that Carr (who had long taken to drinking) had died of nephritis, after which he released “My Old Pal Blues”, a tribute to the man who had been his partner for seven years, and decided to retire from the scene.

Blackwell also recorded as a solo artist, including the song “Kokomo Blues”, which was later covered by Robert Leroy Johnson (a true blues legend who mysteriously died at only 27) under the title “Sweet Home Chicago”.

Blackwell was killed by a gunshot during a robbery in an alley in Indianapolis, and the crime remains unsolved to this day... and that's it.

Scrapper Blackwell - Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out