The name Robert Johnson may not mean anything to the ‘lay person,’ but to musicians and music aficionados all over the world, it means everything. Robert Johnson,”King of The Delta Blues” has been noted as being the inspiration for many rockers from back in the day like Eric Clapton, Zeppelin, The Stones and any other band that had a 12 bar blues based sound. The story goes that Robert was a decent harmonica player, but horrible at the guitar, but after an absence he returned to Robinsonville Mississippi with an uncanny playing style that blew everyone away. Rumor was….he sold his soul to the devil…. You may remember several years back the movie “Crossroads” where a young Ralph Machio helps an old blues man Willie Brown, escape from an old folks home with the promise that the former partner of Robert Johnson, would teach him the lost music of Robert. It was a good movie for what it was. Plus it introduce most of the world to Steve Vai. See below the clip from the movie where Ralph and Steve battle in cutting contest. Steve plays his parts for real, plus the classical piece that Ralph pretends to play, but the blues parts are by Ry Cooder another bad ass guitar player to check out. Do yourself a favor and delve into Robert. The Myth, the legend, and the enigma that is The King Of The Delta Blues!
Be Just and Fear Not
sQueeGee
