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Our class has formed strong opinions regarding jazz in America and uses this format to discuss what we have learned. Feel free to join in!
Good morning from Florida!! Enjoy your research on Robert Johnson today. Fascinating stuff...
ReplyDeleteLuke- it will really get you to write some good feedback! Be good for Mrs. Reed and I'll see you tomorrow. "Went down to the crossroads..."
The legend of Robert Johnson goes like this...He went down to the Mississippi Crossroads and at midnight he sold his soul to the devil because he wanted to become an awesome guitarist. Legend has it that Johnson was really bad at playing the guitar before this midnight adventure, but afterward people could hardly believe the change in his music. Although some believe that Johnson traded his soul to the devil for the ability to play the guitar, nonetheless, he still was a talented musician. He started off playing the harmonica then moved to the guitar. His style of music developed off of other musicians and also related to his life. He inspired many people along the way including Eric Clapton and Keith Richard - rock and roll musician. His music was deep and human sounding.
ReplyDeleteHis life ended prematurely when he was poisoned by the jealous husband of a girl whom he was seeing.
Robert Johnson was an incredable guitarist and song writer. He started playing when he was twenty-one. He inspired people like Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Robert Johnson was only able to record 29 songs before he was poisoned by a jealous man. This jealous man was the husband of a women that Robert had been seeing while he was on tour.
ReplyDeleteRobert was a bluesman and legend has it that "he once stood at Mississippi crossroads and sold his soul to the devil in exchange for guitar-playing prowess"(Robert Johnson 1). The music that he recorded influenced other musicians to look at jazz in an entirely new way. Eric Clapton once said, "Robert Johnson to me is the most important blues musician who ever lived....I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson. His music remains the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice.”
Robert Johnson was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi in 1911 and began playing the guitar in his teens. He became master of the blues. Stephen C. LaVere said this about him, “Robert Johnson is the most influential bluesman of all time and the person most responsible for the shape popular music has taken in the last five decades.” He died on August 13, 1938 by poisoning. A jealous husband of a woman he began seeing during a show at the Three Forks juke joint in Greenwood, Mississippi poisoned him, and he died three nights later.
ReplyDeleteA lot of musicians looked up to Robert Johnson. Eric Clapton was one of them. He was influenced by Johnson and said this about him, “Robert Johnson to me is the most important blues musician who ever lived....I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson.
Robert Johnson was a very talented man. Even though he only recorded 29 songs in his career, he changed the way of American music. Some of his more famous songs like “Cross Road Blues,” “Love In Vain” and “Sweet Home Chicago” became the stepping stone to modern blues and rock and roll music. Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
The guitarist always had an interest in music, but started playing the Jew's harp and harmonica. His transfer to the guitar was not until a blues band, Son House, made an appearance in Mississippi and grasped Johnson's attention immediately. When Johnson began playing the guitar his hometown did not appreciate his music so he left and went back later with such a talent the some townspeople rumored that he had sold his soul to the devil. He had a gift and not one musician has been able to master his music successfully. He died at a young age from a poisoning, but he had the chance to leave behind amazing music. He influenced guitarist such as Eric Clapton who has been quoted saying, "I kind of got hooked on it because it was so much more powerful than anything else I had heard or was listening to. Amongst all of his peers I felt he was the one that was talking from his soul without really compromising for anybody." Eric Clapton has been playing Johnson's music for over 40 years and perhaps without Johnson influence many musicians never would have began playing.
ReplyDeleteRobert Johnson began his life as a sharecropper in Mississippi, but soon began to play the guitar. His family moved around, and he began to play with elders. He was not very good at first, so he went back home. Later, when he returned, his playing was much improved. Many believe he sold his soul to the devil, so he could play the guitar better. I think he really just went home and listened to records and practiced until he got it down. The music he recorded was, "tight, thematically coherent, and short enough for one side of a 78 disc" which made them perfect and above and beyond the time period. His life ended early when the husband of a mistress poisoned him in after a show. In later years, Eric Clapton came across his music and loved it. Eric Clapton said this about Robert Johnson, “Robert Johnson to me is the most important blues musician who ever lived....I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson. His music remains the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice.” Clapton even recorded many of Johnson's songs. Robert Johnson impacted many musicians even in his shortened recording career.
ReplyDeleteRobert Johnson is said to be the first modern bluesman. He was a street singer who was among the first and most influential Delta bluesman, before dying at the young age of 27. Johnson was an amazing guitar player, even fooling Rolling Stones member, Keith Richard, to think there were two guitars, when it was only Johnson playing. Johnson earned his keep as an entertainer by traveling around, playing his guitar to the popular tunes and styles of the time. Johnson was a big deal in the blues world, however some people did not like him. Johnson's live came to a halt when a jealous husband, of a woman Johnson was seeing, poisoned him. After Johnson's death, Eric Clapton said, "Robert Johnson to me is the most important blues musician who ever lived....I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson. His music remains the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice."
ReplyDeleteRobert Johnson's life was talked about so much because he was such a great musician. There were many legends, or rumors, about him. Some of these are that he was taken to jail after a police beating, and then Johnson called his session producer to tell him he was lonely. The producer asked what he meant and Johnson replied, "I'm lonesome, and there's a lady here. She wants fifty cents, and I lacks a nickel."
There are other rumors about Robert Johnson, like he sat on tombstones and played his music, or that he killed himself by drinking too much whiskey. Yet one thing is for sure, Robert Johnson was a huge influence on the blues.
"King of the Delta Blues Singers"
ReplyDeleteRobert Johnson innovative style of music during the blues era is regarded as the underlying factor in modern rock and roll. His contemporary guitar skills reached Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt, the Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Elvis. Johnson had the uncanny ability to not only recite music after hearing it once, but also transform it into pop, hip-hop, rock, etc. With creativity at it's peak, Johnson recorded albums and stunned audiences with his intricate rhythms.
His life ended in Greenwood, Mississippi after an apparent poisoning. Robert Johnson may have died, but his music did not. He was dubbed the father of rock and roll. Johnson was thrown in an unmarked grave, and without any other trace of him, his music continues to inspire other guitars and composers. In 1990, a complete CD of his recordings were released and sold over a million copies. With that said, it is impossible to understate Robert Johnson's guitar abilities and impact of modern rock and roll.
(http://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/Bio.html)
Robert Johnson redefined the blues of the 1930's. He was known as the "King of Delta Blues Singer." Even at a young age Johnson had a deep interest in music. He started out playing the Jews harp and the harmonica. In 1920 he found a new interest in the guitar. Being a very handsome gentleman who could play the guitar beautifully, made him very popular with the ladies. In 1929, he married Virginia Travis. One year after their marriage Virginia lost a child during delivery. Robert was crushed by this lose and threw himself into his music. His music took him on the road-Bluesman Ike Zinnerman became Robert's coach and mentor. While touring he met a very kind and caring woman who was ten years older than him. In 1931 Johnson married Calletta Craft, she made his life very easy-he did not have to work hard like everyone else. Robert Johnson was a very talented musician, he could learn a song of any style after hearing it only once. Robert guarded his astounding talents; if he noticed someone trying to learn to be like him he would leave in the middle of a show. Although he recorded only 29 songs before his untimely death at age 27(it is believe a jealous husband poisoned him during a performance), he inspired many rock 'n' roll artists. For example, Rollin Stones, Led Zipplen, Eric Clapton, and even Elvis. Some consider Johnson the father of rock 'n' roll.
ReplyDeleteLegend has it that Johnson met the Devil at a crossroad during a lonely midnight stroll. It is believed that Robert sold his soul to be the best guitarist in the world. More than likely, that story was started by a jealous competitor.
Sorry I took so long to post my comments. I forgot my password. If found Robert Johnson an interesting guy to read about. From what I read he was from Mississippi and he had little musical talent until his event at the crossroads. You guys may think I am crazy, but I think this story has a lot of potential of being true. People have to believe in the spiritual world and all that to even think this myth is true. I do not have trouble doubting the story. They guy only lived 27 years. You would think a deal with the devil is never good. Even though he was said to be a slave to the devil, he did make some good contributions to jazz. He also influenced the popular Eric Clapton. Clapton like worshiped this guys guitar talent. The crossroads story will always be a popular tale to tell whether it is real or not.
ReplyDelete