John Jackson

By: Greg Johnson

Article Reprint from the March, 2002 BluesNotes
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For over 36 years, John Jackson was arguably the purest exponent of Piedmont Blues working the festival circuit. An artist in possession of a wealth of musical knowledge, along with his strong baritone vocals, he kept the sound of the traditional southeastern United States alive. Passing on the songs of artists such as Blind Blake and Blind Boy Fuller to younger generations, as well as introducing his own finely-crafted material. His recent death has left a void that'll surely be hard to replace.

John Jackson was born in Woodville, Virginia, at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Rappahannock County on February 25, 1924, the seventh of fourteen children. His parents were farmers by trade, but they also were working musicians who played for parties on holidays and weekends. This exposure captured young John's attention early and he began teaching himself to play his father's guitar by the age of four. It was evident to his family that there was something magical in the child's desire and an older sister purchased a guitar for him when he was just five.

Along with his family's participation as active performers, John also loved to listen to the collection of records his parents owned. They consisted of early Country and Blues artists; people such as Jimmie Rodgers, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Boy Fuller, and especially Blind Blake. John studied the 78s passionately, learning the chord progressions as closely as he could. Another individual that the youngster found as a teacher came from the unlikely source of a water boy on a chain gang who went by the name of Happy. While working on the construction of I-29-211, Happy found the time to offer lessons to young Jackson.

Jackson never truly had a formal education. He was forced to leave school after only attending a few short months in the first grade to assist his family on the farm. Because of this, Jackson never learned to read or write.

By the time he was in his early teens, he had joined his parents working the local house-parties. He continued to play with them throughout the 1930s and well into the 1940s. But, by the end of the `40s, he became disenchanted with music, feeling that it led to violent behavior and walked away from it altogether.

In 1950, John Jackson moved to Fairfax County, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Now a family man himself, with his wife Cora and their children, Jackson took work on a dairy farm. In 1954, he took on the occupation of a grave digger at the Oakwood Cemetery in Falls Church, Virginia. It was a job that he enjoyed and would hold onto throughout his life, even well after he became a recognized musician. Music came back into Jackson's life around this same time. A friend in need of money sold his guitar to Jackson and soon he was playing for family friends and local children in his spare time.

While driving through Fairfax County in 1964, folklorist Chuck Perdue stopped at an Amoco gas station. What he didn't expect to find was Jackson, teaching guitar to a mailman. Stunned by the brilliant playing of Jackson, he introduced himself and soon had the guitarist performing in coffee houses in the greater Washington area. It was at the height of the age of "Rediscovery" for Blues and Folk artists and Jackson's knowledge of the Piedmont style was a natural fit.

John Jackson recorded his first album for the Arhoolie label in 1965. Titled, "Blues And Country Dance Songs From Virginia" it was a fine example of his deep repertoire, containing Reels, Rags, Gospel, Hillbilly tunes and Blues. It was the first of eight albums that Jackson would release for Arhoolie during his lifetime and it opened the door for his demand at festivals around the world.

Despite that demand, Jackson very rarely liked to travel far from his home in Falls Church. Over his career, he would play in more than 60 countries, at venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. He would play for royalty and also was a featured performer at the White House for the annual Labor Day Picnic during Jimmy Carter's term as president. In 1986, Jackson was also honored with a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. But, it wasn't until 1999 that he actually played formally for his own hometown when he appeared at the annual Falls Church Watch Night held to celebrate New Year's Eve, an event he would repeat for the remaining two years of his life.

Nineteen ninety-nine also saw the release of Jackson's final recording, "Front Porch Blues" on the Alligator label. The album would recap three W.C. Handy nominations that year, including one for the "Acoustic Album of the Year".

Shortly after Christmas 2001, John Jackson was diagnosed with liver cancer. It was unfortunately in such an advanced state that surgery was not an option. Despite his condition, Jackson appeared at the Falls Church Watch Night celebration a few days later, which would be his final performance. On the afternoon of January 20, 2002, he died while at home of kidney failure. It was reported that he was comfortable and not in pain. He was 77.

On the following Thursday, January 24, the life of John Jackson was celebrated by his friends and family. Many musicians, including the members of Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women and Cephas & Wiggins were all in attendance offering reminiscences of Jackson while his music quietly played in the background. He was later buried at Pleasant Valley Memorial Park, in Annandale, VA.

During his career, John Jackson was called the "King of the Piedmont Blues." But, he was more than just a musician; he was also a strong participant in the Civil Rights movement for Northern Virginia. Falls Church was the location of the first rural chapter of the NAACP and Jackson was a key member from its inception. He very rarely turned down any offer to perform as a benefit for this cause. He also wished to see the tradition of Piedmont's music to be remembered and to prosper as well. During the last month of his life, Jackson had began planning for a Center for Piedmont Blues in Falls Church in association with the local Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation. His musical legacy will surely carry on through this endeavor.

John Jackson

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