Monday 18 June 2007

Blind Banker Jefferson: a short biography

Blind Banker Jefferson was born in Birmingham in 1960. He taught himself to play the guitar when he was only seven years old. A lot of people believe he sold his soul to the devil in return for his amazing talent. It is said he met the devil in the middle of a roundabout somewhere in Birmingham, and they did a deal. This story adds glamour to a somewhat boring life. The truth is, Jefferson's first love was banking. Before he could even speak he was sorting out all the coins and notes in his father's hardware shop. When he left school he got a job with a local bank as a lowly clerk. At the same time he was beginning to write blues songs - none of them any good.

His career progressed slowly until the mid-nineties when he got his big break at a merchant bank in Canary Wharf. Then his songwriting flourished. In a few short years he wrote such classics as Canada Square Trouble Blues, Baby's Got A Brand New Credit Card, Take Me To Threadneedle Street, and I'm Gonna Sell That Stock. Unfortunately, he was only able to record one album before his untimely death. The album - Blind Banker Jefferson Gets Blue - sold poorly at first, but has now sold over five million copies worldwide.

Mystery has always surrounded his death in 1998. No one really believes he had a heart attack. The main theory is that the devil claimed his soul. Some people say he was shot by the husband of an analyst he was having an affair with. It doesn't really matter. Blind Banker Jefferson is a legend, and his songs will remain popular as long as people are interested in music and banking.