Asie Reed Payton was born on April 12, 1937, in Washington County, Mississippi. He was an American blues musician who spent most of his life in Holly Ridge, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta. Payton sang and played the guitar but made his living as a farmer. His breakthrough came near the end of his life when he recorded Worried for Fat Possum Records, which was released posthumously. The album included notable tracks such as "I Love You," which appeared in the closing credits of the 2002 film The Badge. Payton also appeared and performed in the documentary film You See Me Laughin': The Last of the Hill Country Bluesmen (released by Fat Possum Records in 2005). He died of a heart attack on May 19, 1997.
