Walter Lewis (known as Furry Lewis) was born in Greenwood, Mississippi on March 6, 1893 and raised in Memphis.  He learned the guitar by listening to a street singer named Blind Joe.  Lewis played mainly on the streets as a part-time musician, his most popular piece being 'John Henry'.  Between 1927 and 1928 he recorded twenty three sides.  He died in emphis Tennessee on September 14, 1981.