323:. The large granite memorial engraved with Johnson's portrait and including several of Johnson's best-known songs, added at the family's request, was unveiled in October, 2001 in Crystal Springs, but was not placed on Johnson's actual grave for another 10 years however, because of a dispute between Johnson's family (led by his niece, Vera Johnson Collins), the owners of farm property encircling the cemetery, and the Copiah County Board of Supervisors over a deteriorated road that led to the burial site. The dispute was resolved in October 2012 thanks in large part to research work done by University of Mississippi researcher T.D. Moore. It was finally announced that the headstone would be erected on October 26 of that year. The headstone had been on public display in the Crystal Springs Public Library since being unveiled on October 20, 2001. On the night of Saturday, February 2, 2013, the headstone fell and was damaged. It is a matter of dispute whether it fell because it was inadequately secured or because it was pushed over or deliberately smashed.
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Johnson died of a heart attack after playing at a local party in 1956. He is buried in the Warm
Springs Methodist Church Cemetery, outside Crystal Springs, Mississippi. In April, 2000, Johnson family members gave permission for a headstone to be placed on Johnson's grave organized through the
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vocalist of his day, with a powerful voice that could go from a growl to a falsetto. He was an accomplished guitarist. He also performed tricks with his guitar, playing it between his legs and behind his head and throwing it in the air while playing.
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in
December 1929. He did not record again, mistakenly believing that he had signed away his right to record. Some suggest he had been intentionally given this misimpression by people at Paramount Records. This resulted in a legal settlement with the
185:, where he lived for most of his life. He learned to play the guitar and, by 1914, was supplementing his income by playing at local parties with his brothers Major and LeDell. In 1916 Johnson married and moved to Webb Jennings' plantation near
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The story of
Johnson's selling his soul to the devil was first told by his brother, LaDell Johnson, and reported by David Evans in his 1971 biography of Johnson. This legend was subsequently attributed to the unrelated blues musician
253:, who had used the melody of Johnson's "Big Road Blues" in their successful "Stop and Listen". Johnson was party to the copyright settlement but was too drunk at the time to understand what he had signed.
908:
319:, a Mississippi nonprofit corporation active in historic African American cemetery preservation since 1989. Underwriting for the memorial was obtained through the support of blues musician
298:. He influenced other performers, partly because he was willing to teach his style and his repertoire. His influence on local traditions is described by David Evans in the books
272:(whose song "I Asked for Water " was based on Johnson's "Cool Drink of Water Blues"). Johnson was a talented composer, blending fragments of folk poetry and personalized
348:, describes selling his soul to the devil to play guitar. The Tommy Johnson character in the film plays a number of songs originally recorded by the blues musician
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The Tommy
Johnson Blues Festival is held annually in Crystal Springs on the third weekend in October. The inaugural festival was held in
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By 1920, Johnson was an itinerant musician based in
Crystal Springs but traveling widely around the South, sometimes accompanied by
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To enhance his fame, Johnson cultivated a sinister persona. According to his brother LeDell, he claimed to have
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at a crossroads in exchange for his mastery of the guitar. This story was later also associated with
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into set guitar accompaniments to craft striking blues compositions such as "Maggie
Campbell".
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took their name from this song. Johnson's "Big Road Blues" inspired Canned Heat's song "
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233:". A significantly different version of the song appears as "Canned Heat" on the album
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830:. Pomeroy Blues and Jazz Society. Pomeroyblues.org. February 3, 2013. Archived from
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Site for "Crossroads: The Life and
Afterlife of Blues Legend Robert Johnson"
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Johnson recorded two further sessions, for Victor in August 1928 and for
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Escaping the Delta : Robert
Johnson and the Invention of the Blues
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musician who recorded in the late 1920s and was known for his eerie
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161:(January 1896 – November 1, 1956) was an American
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217:, including "Canned Heat Blues", in which he sang of drinking
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Big Road Blues: Tradition and
Creativity in the Folk Blues
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Big Road Blues: Tradition and
Creativity in the Folk Blues
213:. In 1928, he made his first recordings, with McCoy, for
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through the 1930s and 1940s, sometimes performing with
684:"Looking Up at Down": The Emergence of Blues Culture
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Johnson's recordings established him as the premier
468:. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 215.
344:(2000), a character named Tommy Johnson, played by
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The only known verified photograph of Tommy Johnson
784:"Miss. Bluesman Getting Long Overdue Grave Marker"
264:His style influenced later blues singers, such as
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894:with links and material related to Tommy Johnson
603:"Lower Mississippi Delta Region: Tommy Johnson"
425:Untitled song, take 1 ("Morning Prayer Blues")
558:
491:The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray
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605:. US National Park Service. October 25, 2017
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290:Johnson remained a popular performer in the
411:Paramount Records, 1929, Grafton, Wisconsin
1013:20th-century African-American male singers
493:. Dubai: Carlton Books. pp. 127–128.
428:Untitled song, take 2 ("Boogaloosa Woman")
193:. There he met other musicians, including
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726:
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16:American Delta blues musician (1896–1956)
854:"First Annual Tommy Johnson Celebration"
377:Victor Records, 1928, Memphis, Tennessee
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287:, to whom Tommy Johnson was unrelated.
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859:. Tommy Johnson Blues Foundation. 2006
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903:MP3 Audio file of "Canned Heat Blues"
887:Illustrated Tommy Johnson discography
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464:Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013).
169:voice and intricate guitar playing.
828:"Tommy Johnson Headstone Desecrated"
786:. Associated Press. October 25, 2012
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882:Tommy Johnson Blues Foundation site
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1018:20th-century American male singers
909:Tommy Johnson on Paramount Records
686:. Temple University Press, p. 42.
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14:
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446:"Button Up Shoes" (unissued test)
403:"Louisiana Blues" (unissued test)
998:20th-century American guitarists
983:Blues musicians from Mississippi
731:Wald, Elijah (January 6, 2004).
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943:People from Terry, Mississippi
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400:"Lonesome Home Blues" (take 2)
397:"Lonesome Home Blues" (take 1)
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1008:People from Drew, Mississippi
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330:and Crystal Springs in 2006.
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466:Blues: A Regional Experience
72:Crystal Springs, Mississippi
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1003:Guitarists from Mississippi
948:African-American guitarists
808:. MountZionMemorialFund.org
737:. Harper Collins. pp.
443:"I Want Someone to Love Me"
434:"Black Mare Blues" (take 2)
431:"Black Mare Blues" (take 1)
382:"Cool Drink of Water Blues"
10:
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533:"Tommy Johnson: Biography"
341:O Brother, Where Art Thou?
281:sold his soul to the Devil
988:Paramount Records artists
963:American blues guitarists
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968:American male guitarists
898:Canned Heat Blues Lyrics
682:Barlow, William (1989).
440:"Alcohol and Jake Blues"
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958:Country blues musicians
905:on The Internet Archive
710:. Studio Vista, p. 22.
665:. Studio Vista, p. 68.
391:"Maggie Campbell Blues"
993:Victor Records artists
978:American blues singers
489:Russell, Tony (1997).
358:Man of Constant Sorrow
317:Mt. Zion Memorial Fund
221:from the cooking fuel
177:Johnson was born near
43:Background information
973:Country blues singers
953:Delta blues musicians
761:Evans, David (1982).
706:Evans, David (1971).
661:Evans, David (1971).
627:Giles Oakley (1997).
422:"Lonesome Home Blues"
416:"I Wonder to Myself"
406:"Big Fat Mama Blues"
352:and accompanies the
1028:Deal with the Devil
394:"Canned Heat Blues"
251:Mississippi Sheiks
211:Papa Charlie McCoy
191:Dockery Plantation
179:Terry, Mississippi
55:Terry, Mississippi
648:978-0-306-80743-5
630:The Devil's Music
583:978-0-14-006223-6
354:Soggy Bottom Boys
346:Chris Thomas King
246:Paramount Records
231:On the Road Again
187:Drew, Mississippi
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419:"Slidin' Delta"
388:"Bye-Bye Blues"
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235:Big Road Blues
215:Victor Records
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861:. Retrieved
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836:. Retrieved
832:the original
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810:. Retrieved
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788:. Retrieved
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607:. Retrieved
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542:. Retrieved
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338:In the film
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321:Bonnie Raitt
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292:Jackson area
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270:Howlin' Wolf
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199:Willie Brown
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124:Years active
67:(1956-11-01)
51:January 1896
18:
938:1956 deaths
933:1896 births
812:February 5,
790:October 25,
765:. Da Capo.
637:. pp.
572:. pp.
531:Koda, Cub.
372:Discography
302:(1971) and
258:Delta blues
227:Canned Heat
163:Delta blues
106:Instruments
89:Occupations
83:Delta blues
927:Categories
863:August 31,
565:Deep Blues
451:References
350:Skip James
334:In fiction
173:Early life
98:songwriter
838:March 12,
145:Paramount
128:1914–1956
918:AllMusic
562:(1981).
538:AllMusic
306:(1982).
219:methanol
167:falsetto
95:Musician
739:265–276
328:Jackson
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274:lyrics
223:Sterno
205:Career
140:Victor
133:Labels
115:vocals
112:Guitar
79:Genres
74:, U.S.
57:, U.S.
857:(PDF)
639:141/2
574:60–61
310:Death
53:near
865:2011
840:2015
814:2017
792:2012
767:ISBN
743:ISBN
712:ISBN
688:ISBN
667:ISBN
643:ISBN
611:2024
578:ISBN
546:2009
495:ISBN
470:ISBN
268:and
197:and
62:Died
48:Born
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360:".
237:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
