Geeshie Wiley
November 14, 1908 – July 29, 1950
Geeshie Wiley was born Gertrude Malissa Purnell in Walton County, Georgia in the late 1880s. She was born to tenant farmers Lula and Thomas Purnell, who struggled to make ends meet. As a young child, Geeshie learned to play guitar and sing, something that would shape the rest of her life.
In the early 1920s, Geeshie’s immense raw talent was discovered by a talent scout for Paramount Records. In 1930, she was brought to Bristol, Tennessee to record six acoustic songs that showcased her intricate guitar work and soulful vocals. However, little is known about her life outside of these recordings. The songs, “Last Kind Words Blues” and “Miller’s Blues” in particular, cemented her legacy as one of the most influential early blues artists.
Though Geeshie received no commercial success or fame during her lifetime, modern critics and fans regard her as exceptionally gifted. She is considered one of the all-time great early country blues fingerpicking guitarists and her playing and vocal style have inspired generations of artists. In 1971, Geeshie was finally inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, one of the first women to receive such an honor.
Sadly, the details of Geeshie Wiley’s later life and death at the age of 41 are still unknown until a researcher Caitlin Love, who worked with Sullivan, Lillie Mae Wiley died from a head injury in 1950 and was buried with her mother Cathrine Nixson in Brushy Cemetery in Burleson County, Texas.
Her passion and pioneer had the incredibly raw and emotional sound of 1930s recordings continue to captivate listeners nearly a century later. Though overlooked in her own time, Geeshie left an indelible mark and is now recognized as one of the most important pioneering female country blues artists of the early 20th century. Her haunting guitar work and soulful vocals cemented her legacy and ensured she would not be forgotten.