This is gospel blues singer and guitarist Blind Willie Johnson in a photo taken in 1927. The only photo known to exist of him
Very little is known of Willie Johnson's life. He was blinded at the age of 7 by his stepmother when she threw lye water on him. His music career consisted of thirty songs between 1927-1930 and he performed live in various cities and towns throughout the Great Depression and 40s. In 1945, his house was destroyed in a fire, however, due to his poverty, he lived in the ruins of his house. He gradually developed various illnesses, but due to discrimination he couldn't be admitted to any hospitals in the local area.
He died on September 18th, 1945. He was broke, sick, homeless and blind, however, in 1977, Carl Sagan had Willie Johnson's song "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" sent on the Voyager probe launched by NASA, thus his music has traveled the solar system and beyond. His music will outlive humanity and represents humanity