Leroy Jodie Pierson, born in St. Louis in 1947, has been a professional blues guitarist/vocalist his entire adult life. He learned his craft first-hand playing with legendary friends Son House, Fred McDowell, Johnny Shines, Henry Townsend, Yank Rachel, Rev. Robert Wilkins, and Mance Lipscomb. He has performed throughout America and has toured Africa, the Middle East, and Jamaica and has released albums on the Nighthawk and APO labels. In addition he has done studio production work on albums by St. Louisans Henry Townsend and Fontella Bass and Jamaican artists Justin Hinds, Junior Byles, the Ethiopians, the Gladiators, the Itals, and Culture. He has written the liner notes of over 60 albums for companies like Vanguard, Heartbeat, Columbia, Boogie Disease, Sony, Island, Nighthawk, JAD, and Tuff Gong. In St. Louis, he is also well known for his 14 years as a popular radio dj promoting blues and reggae. He has been a dedicated Wailers collector since the late '70s. As a writing team, he and co-author Roger Steffens have annotated the entire Wailers catalog from 1964-1972.