334:. 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
196:, 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
264:, 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.
919:
330:, 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
309:. 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
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283:(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
359:, 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
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By 1920, Johnson was an itinerant musician based in
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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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236:. The song features the refrain "canned heat, mama, sure, Lord, killing me." The blues group
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took their name from this song. Johnson's "Big Road Blues" inspired Canned Heat's song "
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841:. 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
172:(January 1896 – November 1, 1956) was an American
228:, 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
224:. In 1928, he made his first recordings, with McCoy, for
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through the 1930s and 1940s, sometimes performing with
695:"Looking Up at Down": The Emergence of Blues Culture
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Johnson's recordings established him as the premier
479:. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 215.
355:(2000), a character named Tommy Johnson, played by
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The only known verified photograph of Tommy Johnson
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795:"Miss. Bluesman Getting Long Overdue Grave Marker"
275:His style influenced later blues singers, such as
905:with links and material related to Tommy Johnson
614:"Lower Mississippi Delta Region: Tommy Johnson"
436:Untitled song, take 1 ("Morning Prayer Blues")
502:The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray
8:
616:. US National Park Service. October 25, 2017
301:Johnson remained a popular performer in the
422:Paramount Records, 1929, Grafton, Wisconsin
1024:20th-century African-American male singers
504:. Dubai: Carlton Books. pp. 127–128.
439:Untitled song, take 2 ("Boogaloosa Woman")
204:. There he met other musicians, including
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27:American Delta blues musician (1896–1956)
865:"First Annual Tommy Johnson Celebration"
388:Victor Records, 1928, Memphis, Tennessee
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298:, to whom Tommy Johnson was unrelated.
870:. Tommy Johnson Blues Foundation. 2006
914:MP3 Audio file of "Canned Heat Blues"
898:Illustrated Tommy Johnson discography
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475:Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013).
180:voice and intricate guitar playing.
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839:"Tommy Johnson Headstone Desecrated"
797:. Associated Press. October 25, 2012
893:Tommy Johnson Blues Foundation site
1029:20th-century American male singers
920:Tommy Johnson on Paramount Records
697:. Temple University Press, p. 42.
25:
457:"Button Up Shoes" (unissued test)
414:"Louisiana Blues" (unissued test)
1009:20th-century American guitarists
994:Blues musicians from Mississippi
742:Wald, Elijah (January 6, 2004).
954:People from Terry, Mississippi
411:"Lonesome Home Blues" (take 2)
408:"Lonesome Home Blues" (take 1)
18:Tommy Johnson (blues musician)
1:
1034:20th-century American singers
1019:People from Drew, Mississippi
341:and Crystal Springs in 2006.
192:, and in about 1910 moved to
477:Blues: A Regional Experience
83:Crystal Springs, Mississippi
1014:Guitarists from Mississippi
959:African-American guitarists
819:. MountZionMemorialFund.org
748:. Harper Collins. pp.
454:"I Want Someone to Love Me"
445:"Black Mare Blues" (take 2)
442:"Black Mare Blues" (take 1)
393:"Cool Drink of Water Blues"
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544:"Tommy Johnson: Biography"
352:O Brother, Where Art Thou?
292:sold his soul to the Devil
999:Paramount Records artists
974:American blues guitarists
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979:American male guitarists
909:Canned Heat Blues Lyrics
693:Barlow, William (1989).
451:"Alcohol and Jake Blues"
969:Country blues musicians
916:on The Internet Archive
721:. Studio Vista, p. 22.
676:. Studio Vista, p. 68.
402:"Maggie Campbell Blues"
1004:Victor Records artists
989:American blues singers
500:Russell, Tony (1997).
369:Man of Constant Sorrow
328:Mt. Zion Memorial Fund
232:from the cooking fuel
188:Johnson was born near
54:Background information
984:Country blues singers
964:Delta blues musicians
772:Evans, David (1982).
717:Evans, David (1971).
672:Evans, David (1971).
638:Giles Oakley (1997).
433:"Lonesome Home Blues"
427:"I Wonder to Myself"
417:"Big Fat Mama Blues"
363:and accompanies the
1039:Deal with the Devil
405:"Canned Heat Blues"
262:Mississippi Sheiks
222:Papa Charlie McCoy
202:Dockery Plantation
190:Terry, Mississippi
66:Terry, Mississippi
659:978-0-306-80743-5
641:The Devil's Music
594:978-0-14-006223-6
365:Soggy Bottom Boys
357:Chris Thomas King
257:Paramount Records
242:On the Road Again
198:Drew, Mississippi
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872:. Retrieved
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847:. Retrieved
843:the original
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618:. Retrieved
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349:In the film
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332:Bonnie Raitt
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303:Jackson area
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281:Howlin' Wolf
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210:Willie Brown
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135:Years active
78:(1956-11-01)
62:January 1896
29:
949:1956 deaths
944:1896 births
823:February 5,
801:October 25,
776:. Da Capo.
648:. pp.
583:. pp.
542:Koda, Cub.
383:Discography
313:(1971) and
269:Delta blues
238:Canned Heat
174:Delta blues
117:Instruments
100:Occupations
94:Delta blues
938:Categories
874:August 31,
576:Deep Blues
462:References
361:Skip James
345:In fiction
184:Early life
109:songwriter
849:March 12,
156:Paramount
139:1914–1956
929:AllMusic
573:(1981).
549:AllMusic
317:(1982).
230:methanol
178:falsetto
106:Musician
750:265–276
339:Jackson
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285:lyrics
234:Sterno
216:Career
151:Victor
144:Labels
126:vocals
123:Guitar
90:Genres
85:, U.S.
68:, U.S.
868:(PDF)
650:141/2
585:60–61
321:Death
64:near
876:2011
851:2015
825:2017
803:2012
778:ISBN
754:ISBN
723:ISBN
699:ISBN
678:ISBN
654:ISBN
622:2024
589:ISBN
557:2009
506:ISBN
481:ISBN
279:and
208:and
73:Died
59:Born
927:at
371:".
248:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
