robert l. johnson presentation april 2010

8/9/2019 Robert L. Johnson Presentation April 2010

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Robert JohnsonKing of the Delta BluesColloquium presentation University of Delaware, Georgetown,April 2010 by M. Walfred

www.peshkepia.com


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Why Robert Johnson?

First learned about Robert

Johnson by listening to Eric

Clapton and reading

interviews about his

influence

MALS course on

this era gave me

background on

economics, and

effects of theDepression era

Purchased the

box set (2-CDs) in

1996- A must

have for any

music enthusiastor historian


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Robert Leroy Johnson

Born in Hazlehurst, Mississippimost likely on May 8, 1911but U.S. Census says 1912.

No extant birth certificate

Illegitimate

12 siblings and many step-siblings


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Mississippi Delta

Not to be confused with theMississippi River Delta

Alluvian Plain

Flat, fertile soil

Perfect for cotton Isolated from the east by

the hills

Unofficially extends fromMemphis to Vicksburg, Ms.

Arkansas, Louisiana

Mississippi River to thewest

http://topics.breitbart.com/

Mississippi+Delta/


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From David

Millers Blues

Map

http://webpages.charter.net/davidmmiller/deltabirths.htm
http://webpages.charter.net/davidmmiller/deltabirths.htmhttp://webpages.charter.net/davidmmiller/deltabirths.htm


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River afforded

mobility, better

cultural exchange

Hills to right

afforded autonomy

Black population inthe Delta counties

(right) very high 80-

90%

Life was still

extremely repressive

but less so than

other regions

Economic slavery.http://vaiden.net/ms_topography.jpg


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www.northbysouth.kenyon.edu

Sharecroppers Wife

Phtographer BenShahan

Arkansas October1935

Agriculture was the mainstay industry. Mostblacks were sharecroppers

http://mygalleryplace.com/delta


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Clarksdale, Mississippi

www.abc.news.net

Johnson lived in many areas around the Delta

Typicalsharecropper

dwellings

Even in his youth,

Johnson lived an

itinerate lifestyle

Many names,

schools hard to

track down


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Thirteen Year Old Sharecropper Boy Near Americus, Georgia .Dorothea Lange WPA photographer for the FSA


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Day Laborers Waiting to be Paidfor Cotton Picking, MississippiDelta, 1939. Marion Post

Wolcott. WPA FSA

Robert Johnson

wanted no part of

this life

His step-father

beat him for not

working in the

fields

He may have

been born into it

but he did not live

it


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http://www.reddye.com/lange/gfx/8b29713r.jpgPlantation Owner, Mississippi Delta near ClarksdaleMississippi.By Dorothea Lange, WPALibrary of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-

OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-T01-009599-C DLC]
http://www.reddye.com/lange/gfx/8b29713r.jpghttp://www.reddye.com/lange/gfx/8b29713r.jpg


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Argent Editionshistoricalphotographs

Mississippi DeltaNegro Children.

Dorothea Lange

July 1936

Library of Congress


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Country Store, Sunday Afternoon. North

Carolina 1939 Dorothea Lange


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Typicial Southern Baptistchurch

Negro Church, South Carolina. WPA photographer WalkerEvans

Different religious or spiritual forces were inplay, or in conflict with each other in the Delta

region

Gospel = Good

Juke Joints = Evil

Congregation outsideBethlehemNo. 2MissionaryBaptistChurch,ShawMississippi.

Photo: TomRankin

http://www.folklife.si.

edu/resources/Festival1997/likeariv.htm


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Some people worshipped atJuke Joints


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Dancing in a Clarksdale Mississippi Juke Joint, 1939 by Marion Post Wolcotthttp://johnedwinmason.typepad.com/john_edwin_mason_photogra/russell-lee/


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Same year, same region. Note the

disparity. Stereotype on right persisted,

but African Americans during Johnsons

time wanted to put slavery behind them

and listen to music and enjoy life along

with the rest of America


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Race records

Late 1920s Race records reached five million copies

www.pbs.org Race records were targeted/marketed

to black audience.
http://www.pbs.org/http://www.pbs.org/


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The Music

All artwork by:

www.peshkepia.com


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Delta Blues Characteristics

Slide guitar (bottleneck)

Strong holler influence

Personal (rarely, he, she, they)

Strong vocals, timber, treble, whooping orjump in octave- wailing

Heavy borrowing from other artist- collectiveownership of riffs and phrases

Harmonica or guitar answers singer- calland response-work songs and prison chants


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Johnsons originaltunes/themes

Traveling, rambling,being on the move

Being chased

Freedom Missing women, bad

women, women takinghim in

Only a few dealt withthe Devil

www.peshkepia.com


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Today we think of Johnsonas a blues artist

But he rarely played what we think ofas the blues, at juke joints, or in frontof live audiences.

African Americans wanted to hearupbeat songs- Top 40 songs. In orderto make money on the road, Johnson

would have had to know and playthese tunes and artists well:


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Yes Sir, Thats My

Baby

My Blue Heaven

Gene Autry

You Oughta Be inPictures

Rudy Valee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Louis_Armstrong_restored.jpg


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Johnson sought outrecording sessions in 1936

29 original songs

Totaling 41 sides or takes

Only this song, Terraplane

Blues was what would be

considered at hit, sellingabout 5,500 copies

No royalties from radio play

Johnson may have earned

a few hundred dollars forhis efforts.

He was thrilled


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John Hammond, a respected record producer

and music historian had a genuine interest in

the roots of music, and all musical forms. His

interests brought him to discover Johnson,and invite him to this 1938 concert.

Hammond was unaware Johnson had died

recently.


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Twenty three yearslater when the racial

climate had shifted

enough, Hammond

releases this album

It creates a sensation especially in England

This album would

inspire the careers of

Eric Clapton, Mick

Jagger, Keith Richards,Jimmy Page. No one

had any idea what he

looked like so he was

painted from this

perspective


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Context: Naughty Elvis was off in the army and in his place,teenagers heard wholesome, clean cut delivery of pop music.Concerned parents everywhere gave a collective sigh of relief.


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Mystery, Myths and

Legends


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The Devils in Delta

Cultural highway

Black migration to north

Rich in African, West Indies andCaribbean cultures

Belief in devils, Legba

Mojo sack

Way to get women

Women like bad boys

Way to explain talent

Crossroads

Tommy Johnson

Real person

Parallels RobertJohnsons life

Featured in the filmOh Brother, WhereArt Thou?

TJ did brag about going to thecrossroads and making a deal

Map: http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/64069/travel.html


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Some people had theirmojo on

All images here from:

http://www.luckymojo.com/nationsac

A fascinating background

about the culture and practice

of mojo hand or nation sack
http://www.luckymojo.com/nationsack.htmlhttp://www.luckymojo.com/nationsack.html


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The loneliest place in the world


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Where the deal went down allegedly!

http://www.readersandrootworkers.org/index.php?title=The_Crossroads


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Crossroads also means $$$


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In 1970s two photographssurfaced


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2008 Expose in Vanity Fairregarding a possible new photograph surfacing

Another unsubstantiated photo was found on eBay
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/11/johnson200811http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/11/johnson200811


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Another, unsubstantiated photo was found on eBayin 2009. The asking bid for this photo was $795,000

Source: http://www.bakedziti.net/?p=339
http://www.bakedziti.net/?p=339http://www.bakedziti.net/?p=339


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ystery surroun ng s


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ystery surroun ng sdeath at 27 adds to his

enduring allure Collapsed on allfours, howling.Days to die

Syphilis Poisoned by

jealous husband

New theories aboutMarfans Syndrome

http://thedeltablues.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/robert-johnson-poison-didnt-kill-

www.peshkepia.com
http://thedeltablues.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/robert-johnson-poison-didnt-kill-him/http://thedeltablues.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/robert-johnson-poison-didnt-kill-him/


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Burial Site #1


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Burial Site #2


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Burial Site #3 Official Site


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Now everyone claims him!


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One tourism Web site

www.visitthedelta.com


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www.thedeltablues.wordpress.com

Tourists are told

this is a general

store Robert

Johnson and

friends wouldfrequent


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Possible Robert Johnson

family home in

Robinsonville, Ms.

Located on theLeatherman and Abe

Plantation

www.thedeltablues.wordpress.com


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Resources

Re-titled: The

Life and Musicof Robert

Johnson: Cant

You Hear the

Wind Howl?

Books

Documentaries

Elijah Walds

excellent book!


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Resources

Original artwork (watercolor & pencil) by Peshkepiawww.peshkepia.com All works for sale. Great interpretations!

Robert Johnson Official Web sitehttp://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/

Various blogs too numerous to mention!

YouTube www.youtube.com

WPA photographs. Library of Congress
http://www.peshkepia.com/http://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/http://www.youtube.com/http://www.youtube.com/http://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/http://www.peshkepia.com/


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What does Clapton hear that wedont?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETELORdwmJA

Sessions for Robert J, by

Eric Clapton is a far

superior effort than hisearlierMe and Robert

Johnson. The YT clip

above is an excerpt from

the DVD that comes with

this project. In a nutshell,

EC explains the geniusbehind Johnsons

craftmanship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETELORdwmJAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETELORdwmJA


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Robert Johnson

Influenced by his time andplace

Desire to escape, succeed,make money

Relatively unknown during

his lifetime

Re-invented in the 60s

Romantic, mysterious

Sketchy background adds tothe mystique

Clapton has hugeinfluence

Robert Hammond

Blues gets defineddifferently

Pilgrimages

Frozen in time

forever young

Gaps are creativelyfilled in


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Song HighlightsLyric screenshots from the

official Robert Johnsonwebsite:http://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/Bio.html

Lyrics were shown on projected screen

while I played audio clips from my copyof the Complete Recordings Robert

Johnson 1996 CD to the seminar

audience.
http://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/Bio.htmlhttp://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/Bio.html


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Come On In My Kitchen


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Sweet Home Chicago


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Kind Hearted Woman


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Hellhound On My Trail


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Red Hot


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Terraplane Blues


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Ramblin on My Mind

C R d Bl


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Cross Road Blues


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Traveling Riverside Blues

If I Had Possession of


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If I Had Possession ofJudgment Day

robert l. johnson presentation april 2010

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