U.S. Army veteran Jessie Yawn recently passed away.
The 79-year-old Manatee County native loved to sing the blues. And people, according to friends and family, loved to hear him.
- Jessie Yawn, 79, passed away
- Renowned blues singer performed at Bill Clinton's inauguration
- The Army vet was buried at Sarasota National Cemetery
"He was great on the stage, he sang from his heart," said Mr. Yawn’s daughter, Vickie Yawn-Wheeler.
Yawn-Wheeler said she loved to watch her father mesmerize crowds.
"When he finished singing people in the audience, they just surrounded him,” said Yawn-Wheeler. “Especially the women. He was quite the ladies’ man.”
From singing at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, to a recording contract with Chess Records, Mr. Yawn had talent.
"They didn’t know what they had in the community until he [was] gone,” said Yawn-Wheeler. “Now they know.”
You could call Yawn-Wheeler her father’s biggest fan. A smile effortlessly forms across her face when describing her favorite song.“Sweeter As the Years Go By.”
"When he talked to me, when he called me on the phone he would say, 'Hello sweetheart,'" recalled Yawn-Wheeler.
While Jesse’s own song has come to an end, his voice will continue to play in his family’s hearts.
One of Mr. Yawn's final performances in Manatee County was at the 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival. He was buried at Sarasota National Cemetery.