Blind Boy Fuller

Pioneering Piedmont Blues Guitarist and Singer

Born: July 10, 1907 (or 1904) in Wadesboro, North Carolina Died: February 13, 1941 in Durham, North Carolina Fulton Allen was a prolific North Carolina blues guitarist and vocalist who recorded under the name Blind Boy Fuller, owing to blindness caused by retinal ulcers. A prime example of the Piedmont style, Fuller was one of the most popular blues performers of his time, particularly well known for his distinctive use of the resonator guitar and his upbeat, "hokum" numbers often featuring washboard performances by Bull City Red. Allen's career was cut short by his death from kidney failure and other complications on February 13, 1941. After Fuller's death, his protégé Brownie McGhee recorded "The Death of Blind Boy Fuller" and began a short lived career as Blind Boy Fuller 2.