Vinson was a blues and jazz pianist born c. 1917 in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Vinson's recording career didn't take off until the 1950s, when he was discovered by Sam Phillips (2) while working as a janitor at Phillip's Sun Record Company in Memphis. In the 1980's, Vinson taught and performed regularly at the Center for Southern Folklore, which finally released his first full-length album in 1997. Vinson died from complications due to diabetes in November, 2002.