Three Forks Mississippi

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zentull
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Three Forks Mississippi

Post by zentull »

In August 1938 a 28 year old travelling musician arrived in Three Forks Mississippi and played at a party. A jealous boyfriend or husband offered the musician a drink to make ammends for an earlier altercation and poisoned him. Afterwards several days later he died and was buried at what is today still an unknown location.

In 1970 a researcher interviewed eyewitnesses from that party that felt it was no big deal, an unknown musician was murdered by a local man and it was of very little consequence. At that time this unknown musician had his early recordings re released by demand in 2 separate LP packages.

The unknown musician had at that time of his death several 78s in print and others still waiting to be released. He had a minor hit with "Terraplane Blues" and has to be considered the forefather of modern blues and rock and roll. His other pieces such as "Love In Vain", "Crossroad Blues", "Sweet Home Chicago", "Dust My Broom" and "Kind Hearted Woman" became staples in blues and rock. He was the inspiration and mentor to such folks as Elmore James, Howling Wolf, Eric Clapton and Sonny Boy Williamson.

The tales and folk lore concerning him remain today and some have inspired the basis of the shadowy niches of rock and roll. The personal story of his life is tragic and filled with sorrow and abandonement.

Many of his original recordings exist in copy form only, the original pressings lost in time and only a couple of known photographs of him exist today.

Before everyone else there was the "King of the Delta Blues" Robert Johnson.

When looking at the frustrations of the research we do, it is good to remember that those hinderances and secrets are prevalent in all research and not just the LDM.
"Be Careful of What You Do Before A Lie Becomes The Truth"
Joe Ribaudo
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Singing The Blues.......

Post by Joe Ribaudo »

Wayne,

Here's a little piece I picked up on Johnson:

Image
Monument at a cemetery where Robert Johnson might be buried, Mount Zion M. B. Church, Morgan City

The largest of Johnson's three grave markers, this is an impressive obelisk, lengthily inscribed on all four sides:
Side 1. Born in Hazlehurst, Copiah County, the recording career and brief transit of Robert Johnson left an enormous legacy to American music. Preserved for the ages by Columbia Recording Company, the body of his work is considered to be among the most powerful of its kind, a haunting and lyrical portrait of the human spirit.
Side 2. [The familiar dimestore photo of Johnson, cigarette in mouth, has been replaced on this side after being stolen.] Robert Johnson “King of the Delta Blues Singers.” His music struck a chord that continues to resonate. His blues addressed generations he would never know and made poetry of his visions and fears.
Side 3. “You may bury my body down by the highway side” … This monument erected April 20, 1991 through the generosity of people across America, with profound respect and appreciation for the people and culture of the Mississippi Delta.
Side 4. [A list of all of Johnson's songs.]

Johnson has two or three more grave markers than any other blues artist, and many more words inscribed on the stones. He also gets more gifts left at his graves. Sonny Boy Williamson II's marker, which comes in second, usually has a harmonica or two and some coins. Johnson's draws jewelry, notes scrawled on foodstamp tickets or other kinds of paper, CDs by obscure artists (perhaps left by the artists themselves, hoping that some of Johnson's spirit will penetrate their music), pencils, cigarettes, flowers, beer cans, pretty stones, and of course guitar picks.

From the book, "Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues".

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Take care,

Joe
zentull
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Post by zentull »

One of the problems with researching Johnson was He was born Robert Leroy Spencer Dodds, but his father had left his mother behind and his actual father out of wedlock was Noah Johnson. He was known as Robert Spencer, Robert Dodd and even Little Robert Dusty(after his stepfather from his mothers 2nd marriage), few people in his family knew him as Robert Johnson to begin with.

He was married by 19 and his 1st wife died in childbirth.

His own children(by a number of different women) and Grandchildren have received little or nothing from his legacy and because of that only one photograph has been released of Johnson to date.

Two of the best books on this subject are Searching for Robert Johnson by Peter Guralnick and Chasing that Devils Music by Gayle Dean Wardlow. Wardlow's book is reprints of articles, biographies and interviews of an excellent cross section of Delta Blues artists(Tommy Johnson, Bukka White, Charlie Patton and Robert Johnson) and includes a CD of stuff from his own private collection that is worth the price of the book by itself.
"Be Careful of What You Do Before A Lie Becomes The Truth"
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