▁but ▁other ▁evidence ▁suggests ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Jug ' s ▁Cor ner , ▁in ▁neighbor ing ▁Iss aqu ena ▁County , ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁before ▁his ▁rise ▁to ▁fame , ▁the ▁year ▁of ▁his ▁birth ▁was ▁reported ▁as ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁on ▁his ▁marriage ▁license , ▁recording ▁notes , ▁and ▁mus icians ' ▁union ▁card . ▁A ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁interview ▁in ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Def ender ▁is ▁the ▁earliest ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁stated ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁as ▁the ▁year ▁of ▁his ▁birth , ▁and ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁say ▁this ▁in ▁inter views ▁from ▁that ▁point ▁on ward . ▁The ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁census ▁lists ▁him ▁as ▁five ▁years ▁old ▁as ▁of ▁March ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁suggesting ▁that ▁his ▁birth ▁year ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁The ▁Social ▁Security ▁Death ▁Index , ▁re lying ▁on ▁the ▁Social ▁Security ▁card ▁application ▁submitted ▁after ▁his ▁move ▁to ▁Chicago ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 4 0 s , ▁lists ▁him ▁as ▁being ▁born ▁April ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁His ▁grav estone ▁gives ▁his ▁birth ▁year ▁as ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁ ▁His ▁grand m other , ▁D ella ▁Grant , ▁raised ▁him ▁after ▁his ▁mother ▁died ▁shortly ▁after ▁his ▁birth . ▁Grant ▁gave ▁him ▁the ▁nick name ▁" M