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Ok now lets move things down from the heavy to the acoustic . This next legends is famous for Selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads yep you guessed it Mr Robert Johnson .
Biography
Robert Johnson was born on the 8th of May 1911 to parents Julia Major Dodds and Noah Johnson in Hazelhurst,Mississippi . until his late early teens he was known as Robert Spencer after his stepfather , who had to change his name from Dodds to Spencer when ran from Mississippi after a personal vendette with the Marchetti brothers . Johnson took the name of his biological father as a teenager even though he had not met him .
For a long time music was an interest to Johnson whose first instruments were the Jew's Harp and then Harmonica before he became seriously involved with the guitar . He married Virgina Travis in February 1929 and the young couple soon became expectant parents . But tradegy struck when Virginia only 16 years old died in childbirth in 1930 .
Around June of 1930 the blues musician Son House came to Mississippi . His music deeply affected Johnson . Johnson thought it as the most raw most direct pure emotion he had ever heard and from then on he followed Son House and Willie Brown wherever they went . At this time Robert did not seem to have any talent for guitar at all and the only compliments he got was when he stopped playing .
Unhappy and unwilling to be caught in the world of backbreaking work with little reward , Johnson left the regular scene in Robinsonville , Mississippi and went to Hazelgyrt , MS . There he played at the " Jook Joints of the road gands and lumber camps " and found a " Kind and loving woman more than ten years his senior " named Calletta "Callie" Craft , They got hitched in May 1931 but actually kept the marriage a secret .
This time in Southern Mississippi was important for Johnson , Because it was at this time his musical talent got noticed . When he returned to Robinsonville , Son House and Willie Brown were astounded by his development as a guitarist , Rumors began to spread about Johnson selling his soul to the devil in exchange for his guitar expertise . Because of this his career took off .
In concert Johnson played his own songs as well as covers of various other bluesmen and generally popular music such as Bing Crosby . When he actually made up his mind to record in 1936 he approached H.C Speirs a white record store owner in Jackson Mississippi . Speirs sent him to Ernie Oertle an ARC scout . Oertle and Johnson went to San Antonio late in November 1936 where in 5 days he recorded :
KindHearted Woman Blues
I Believe I'll Dust My Broom
Sweet Home Chicago
Rambling On My Mind
When You Got A Good Friend
Come On IM My Kitchen
Terraplane Blues
Phonograph Blues
32-20 Blues
They're Red Hot
Dead Shrimp Blues
Cross Road Blues
Walking Blues
Last Fair Deal
Gone Down
Preaching Blues (Up Jumped The Devil)
and If I Had A Possession Over Judgement Day
When he was done he returned home to Mississippi .
Johnson returned to the recording studio in June 1937 this time in Dallas . He did two takes each of
Hellbound On My Trail
Little Queen Of Spades
Malted Milk
Drunken Hearted Man
Me And The Devil Blues
Stop Breakin' Down Blues
Traveling Riverside Blues
And Honeymoon Blues
three takes of Milkcow's Calf Blues and four takes of Love In Vain .
During the next year Johnson travelled to such places as St. Louis , Memphis and back home to Delta , On a Saturday night August 13 1938 at a jook joint named Three Forks Johnson played his last gig . Of the many rumors concerning Johnson's death in 1938 ( Stabbing, Poison , The Devil Catching Up With Him) , Poisoning is the most prevalent an most substantiated , His death certificate was found in 1968 verifying his death in Greenwood , Mississippi . He is buried at a small church in Morgan City MS which is near Greenwood , It was soon after Johnson's death but before the news was wide-spread that John Hammond began looking for Johnson to perform at Carnegie Hall in a "From Spirituals To Swing" concert .
In 1990, Columbia reissued Johnson's recordings in their Roots 'n' Blues series. . Johnson's songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as Lee Roy Parnell and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Johnson's poetry is currently being taught at the University level, in particular, Victor Cabas' "Mississippi in Story and Song" at the University of Virginia.
A true blues legend in fact a true legend a true inspiration Mr Robert Johnson .
Discography
Hard to actually find the original dates and names of his first recording but since they are listed above anyway theres no point in a new discography added on to the end
List Of Sources:www.alltheweb.com / www.yahoo.com / www.msn.com / www.google.com /
Pictures: http://www.netspace....ages/big-rj.jpg. http://www.susandysi...ia/rjohnson.jpg
Zak
MultiQuote
