Robert Johnson: How The Blues Never Lost Its Soul

[@thestonedabbot9551]

"The blues is a low-down, aching chill. If you ain't never had 'em, I hope you never will." - Preachin' Blues

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“The world is run by those who show up.” - Robert Johnson

[@mangot589]

Books In Review Mic drop.

[@bluesrocker91]

That was a different Robert Johnson...

[@mangot589]

The Paranoid Blues Man It did seem a bit profound for him, but hey, what do I know? Lol

[@JakobSeidl]

Books In Review lol he did not say that

[@justjosh9353]

Mind blown like 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯😭🤯🤯🤯🤯😱😱😱😱😱🤬🤬🤯😱🤯😱🤯🤯😱😱🤯😱😨😨😱🤯🤯😱😱😨🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶

[@paulsimmons5726]

It's hard to imagine what else Robert Johnson could have achieved since he influenced all the iconic artists he did from only a few hours of recordings. If Johnson had lived and worked at the same place for another five or ten years... Hard to imagine!

[@bpabustan]

It has to be argued that with boogie bass lines, slide rhythms and mythical lyrics, he COULD be the father of Rock N' Roll.

[@susankraft77]

Robert Johnson was phenomenally talented and I'm glad you showcased his story here. I'd love it if you would do a piece on another great, and little known, American blues artist, Elizabeth Cotten. Listen to her song Freight Train sometime and notice that she plays a right hand guitar left handed. She taught herself on banjo at age 7 and played stringed instruments upside down all of her life. Thanks for the blues break, Simon. Blessings all!!

[@zippsushi]

Just looked her up, incredible!

[@marions.120]

Not only does she play a right-handed guitar left-handled, but the strings are upside down. Love Elizabeth Cotton! ✌️😎🎸🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

[@alphaownsyou]

Obviously I never met Robert Johnson. But I did meet the son of a legendary fife player and ultimately the legendary fife player himself, Otha Turner. Met him in 2002 or 2003 shortly before he passed. I use to play guitar after I would get of work when Mac came in and pointed at me saying "I knew you could play!" Told me about his dad who at the time I had no idea who he was. But he mentioned his dad had been acquainted with Robert Johnson when they were young. When I finally met Otha he had heard about me being a guitar player and said I should bring it down to his house sometime to play. I laughed. He shook my hand when he left and he said "The hand you just shook, shook the hand of Robert Johnson."...I was floored and it just felt surreal. Rest in peace.

[@thomaswalz3515]

I've been studying Blues for 50 years. His recordings are perfection. Blues isn't about hot licks and extraordinary technique, it's all about tone, phrasing, and timing. Granted, Johnson's techniques are not easy to master... but the man had a gift that blossomed. Sometimes, a properly placed rest (silence) is the hottest lick... and singing... so many guitarists ignore the power of the vocal instrument, and how difficult it is to master. This is the best bio on Johnson I've come across... short and sweet, to the point, no fluff. Blues is what feelings sound like...

[@kicknchickn9794]

Yo OG Robert Johnson, i have his complete box set with his music and story. Its crazy how in the songs it really sounds like 2 guitar players, but its only him

[@christineparis5607]

We have that too, and it is uncanny...

[@Nick-dc3vv]

You don’t know how many nights I’ve stayed up until 4 in morning listening to those songs over and over

[@derekemrie2987]

Could it be there really was another player, a spiritual, invisible player...hmmm, hellhound on my trail! I think Robert was just so totally given to his music after marrying twice and losing both partners quickly, that the only way he knew how to life was as a rambling man, giving rise to hundreds/thousands of like minded musicians afterwards. Whatever the case, such great tunes he left behind, the legacy of the delta blues!

[@smokelife6315]

"And im standing at the crossroads Believe im sinking down..."

[@hakeemfullerton8645]

Also he would be the first of many musicians to be in the infamous "27 Club"

[@adamstanley8841]

No he wouldn’t

[@alexiatheconjurer]

@@adamstanley8841 yes he would

[@mommyshark1124]

I never thought of that. You're right

[@hakeemfullerton8645]

@Adam Baum Yup it's an alleged club that include Musicians who all died at the age of 27

[@shadowstalker745]

He was the 5th, Alexandre Levy was the first

[@garrettloftonmsu2359]

My favorite blues musician and fellow Mississippi native

[@jpm9316]

Your best yet, Simon (and Team)!!! Story of a man who should never be forgotten... Long live the Blues!

[@TheMakersRage]

Listen to "Come on in My Kitchen" and the part where he sings "Don't you hear the wind howl" then proceeds to mimic the wind with his guitar. Genius.

[@elissajaguar]

Now I’m wanting a Biographics on Billie Holiday and one on Josh White (he may be too obscure though- what a fabulous blues artist.)

[@nicolew6904]

Definitely Billie Holiday.

[@JakobSeidl]

Elissa Chazdon josh white is incredible

[@blindmorader]

Maybe Big Mama Thorton too.

[@petabulmer7345]

Yes, Billie Holiday, please Simon!

[@jazzerson7087]

@@petabulmer7345 Billie Holiday yes please!!!

[@gsf67]

Like many, I had heard of the legend of Robert Johnson, but until recently, the legend was shrouded in mystery, and was somewhat murky. This episode has cleared a few things up.

[@rolanddevil2692]

Chris Thomas King is the blues artist that plays Tommy Johnson in Oh Brother Where Art Thou.

[@chrisdugas1226]

Kind of funny that they named a character based on Robert Johnson Tommy Johnson since, around the same time, in Mississippi, there was another Delta blues musician who's name was Tommy Johnson.

[@WintrBorn]

I like how this channel feels like a very Proper documentary, whilst still keeping a lot of entertaining information to prevent the usual dryness history has.

[@vvvhhhhhbb]

One of the best "Biographics" posted!

[@stacywiebe4828]

I live in the 'sip (Mississippi), and it's amazing how many people here don't know who RJ is. I play his records in my house every Sunday while we clean and he is a major part of our family's soundtrack. The pain in his voice captures the agony that was being a sharecropper in MS in the 30s (something that unfortunately has not changed much in the Delta). I found the crossroad where they alleged he sold his soul, and we will be making a road trip soon to visit it. Thank you for shining a light on Robert, he deserves every mention.

[@marions.120]

Hard to believe! Unfortunate actually.

[@dmacmillion]

That alleged footage of Johnson playing on the streets has been disproved. The movie theater in the background was advertising a film that was released a few years after his death.

[@bentufte7774]

I just wrote a term paper on Robert Johnson. Its twice as long as the recommended length and one of the best papers I've written. This video was my first encounter with Robert Johnson, so I want to thank you for introducing me to such fantastic musician.

[@bradj1526]

The greatest guitar player ever!!

[@jefffiore7869]

One of the greatest blues artist

[@markcarey67]

Oh wow. Cheers. My dad played me his songs. I was the only child in the family who would sit still for all of his old Blues records.

[@rawrimaoctopus5715]

I love Roberts music so much thanks for doing this one it's just as good as the Hendrix one

Robert Johnson was the one who really got me into blues. Sure I'd often heard blues before, but his very unique style made me really dig deeper.. and now, many years later, I still find myself humming his tunes from time to time.

[@itarry4]

10.47 didn't even realise he was a thing. A thing? He wasn't a thing, he was a person, a person with a great talent who died far to early but thankfully he left us 2 albums of his music to remember him by. This has quite probably given us the music we've got today, it's absolutely amazing how many musicians and how much music exists today because of those 2 Albums. However he was never, ever a thing!

[@donovanchilton5817]

When you knocked upon my door...wooooooooooo And I said "hello Satan" I believe it's time to go

[@Jekyll_Jackal]

"Me and the Devil Was walkin' side-by-side Me and the Devil, ooh Was walking side-by-side I'm going to beat my woman Until I get satisfied"

[@angelotus17]

She said "you don't see why That I will dog her 'round" Now baby you know you ain't doin' me right, now She say "you don't see why, hoo That I would dog her 'round" It must-a been that old evil spirit So deep down in the ground

[@MastinoNapoletano420]

The movie Crossroads is a really good telling of what Robert Johnson means to what then became rock and roll. It also shows how music is transcendent from classical to modern music and Steve Vai is amazing in it. Great video Simon!

[@MisterRlGHT]

Ah, Crossroads ... the movie that teaches us the blues is all well & good, but you can't win a blues guitar shootout with the devil without playing the music of dead white classical composers.

[@Jason_Maier]

From what I've read, only two or three verified photographs are known to exist of Robert Johnson

[@JimWilliam-mo7nl]

That's true!

[@KingDanny9]

Thank you Simon. Thank you Robert for helping to create Rock music. Music fans will always salute you.

[@Odin029]

Tommy Johnson was a real person and actually predates Robert Johnson as a recording artist. His most well known song is called 'Canned Heat Blues', which is where the band Canned Heat got their name. And Tommy Johnson was the one who was supposed to have sold his soul before Robert Johnson became the focus of that tale. The two were born about 20 miles from each other but they have completely different sounds. Robert Johnson would go on to influence people like Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, and Eric Clapton while Tommy Johnson is so obscure that I don't even blame people for not knowing that the character in Oh Brother wasn't based on Robert Johnson.

[@rhett2408]

thank you for your hard work on another video Simon

[@SaraMakesArt]

Robert Johnson's death went undiscovered for thirty years and he recorded all of his songs in two sessions? Woah!

[@pbibbles]

I wish you would have mentioned John Fogerty or his band Credence Clearwater Revival. John himself has personally credited his musical career to Johnson. In fact, after not playing his own music from CCR at live shows for over 15 years due to the terrible personal and legal troubles culminating from the band's ultimate breakup, it took a 1990 visit to the place recognized as Johnson's grave to convince him to finally start playing them again. It resulted in a Grammy winning live album "Premonition" and a Grammy for album of the year in "Blue Moon Swamp" just a few years later.

[@umbrellajax]

“Some kind of guitar teacher” & “A mysterious piano player” sounds like Satan kept popping up like Rufus in Bill & Ted.

[@outlandish.history]

🤣🤜

[@PGar58]

umbrellajax Who said he didn’t?

[@similaritiesendhere]

@umbrellajax Yeah, it's either the prince of darkness or history forgot 2 poor, JIm Crow era, black people's names (coincidentally, it forgot 99.9% of all their names). STFU and quit running the name of someone you've never met through the dirt. That behavior sounds way more satanic to me than playing a guitar well. Hey, look. A black man was mysteriously found dead on the side of the road in Jim Crow Mississippi. It's obviously magic. Lol. You people are fucked in the head.

[@justinweber4977]

@@similaritiesendhere I... Think you're taking the remark too seriously. It seems pretty obvious it's meant in jest.

[@gemfyre855]

I'm thinking more of a Phantom of the Opera vibe.

[@vanessathomas7437]

Wonderful Tribute you gave to Robert Johnson, Simon! I could listen to your Content all day. Actually, I usually do about an hour anyway😘

[@the5thkazekage]

Yet another member of the 27 club. Yet another talented artist that was able to influence a great many people via a relatively short career.

[@ThatThrashGuy99]

Saw the title, liked it before the ad even ended. ❤❤❤

[@martytu20]

He sold his soul so the Blues will never lose its soul.

[@amandadean3948]

Wow, not a big fan of Blues music but I still found this very interesting.

[@bryanmeekins835]

The days keep on worryin' me There's a hellhound on my trail

[@parfner666]

The first member of the 27 club

[@est9467]

Absolute legend!

[@larenese9417]

Awesome! As always interesting and informative content! Thank you so much for sharing! Take care and be safe! 😊

[@1231crazykiller]

I LOVE YOU FOR POSTING THIS

[@DCGamingNetwork]

A biographic on Sam Cooke would be right up this alley.

[@jokestermasteroflaughter7754]

The blues is an amazing genre it wasn't started in high class recording studios or concert halls. No it was started in dive bars, down old country roads, on someones front porch. its obscure origins make it the ghost of the music family

[@dogstar7]

"The medium is the message" ~ Marshall McLuhan. In two recording sessions Robert Johnson changed pop music. But that change did not come about until decades later. And only then because young men who were by the late 1950's dedicated to understanding and deconstructing the influence of recorded music - pop, or popular music - of their day. Had it not been for Don Law's 1936/7 recordings the "folk music" revivalists of the mid 20th century would not have been able to find him. The portable device Law used was adapted from a surplus US Navy wire recording dictaphone since there were no electronic reel to reel tape recorders and Law did not travel with a portable direct-to-disk (not disc) lathe in order to "cut a record" which as an actual thing back then

[@vanessathomas7437]

Thanks for the Info!

[@dogstar7]

I thoroughly enjoyed this biography. Pardon me for showing off with my contribution to the legend before I took the time to acknowledge the writing. Particularly appreciated was the exposition on how contemporary culture discovered and embraced Johnson's guitar virtuosity in the 90's

[@laztoth3104]

Thank you for the HISTORY Lesson Simon 👍👍!!! Meaning the entire staff biographics

[@royrush5374]

...and for that you traded your everlasting soul?? Well.. I wasn't using it...

[@kevinmorrice]

That was tommy johnson. Real guy who wasnt robert johnson

[@williamfree9565]

Bought his box set about 20 years ago good stuff

[@thewalkingthrones9165]

Thank you Biographics, all I knew about him was from the movie Crossroads.🎸

[@christineparis5607]

I worked in Hollywood for a few years, and was on a crappy tv show that had some actors who had worked on the movie Crossroads...they hated, HATED the final result of that movie. It was supposed to be a lot darker, and much more mysterious and creepy, but after a few producers, writers and directors were done with it, it was lightweight, feel good stuff. I think it was Joe Morton who told me that he had originally been very excited to do the film, but it had completely changed...he was a very intense actor.

[@thewalkingthrones9165]

@@christineparis5607 OMG I loved Joe's portrayal of his character, he is such a great actor, (about that $2 I'm low on Gas⛽) brilliant.

[@steelerspittsburgh875]

The writer of the original story said there were 3 different endings . None of which he wrote and they went with the lamest ending. I bought the vcr tape for $25.00. I thought it was a bargain.

[@christineparis5607]

@@thewalkingthrones9165 Joe was on this bad tv series called Equal Justice in 1990, I can't remember when I started on it but it only lasted a couple of seasons...the cool thing was that there were people like him and Sarah Jessica Parker on it too, a lot of them went on to have much better roles. The show was really bad...everyone was fun though...

[@isaacc7]

There’s an excellent argument that his recordings were pitched too high in order to fit more on the old 78rpm records. People worked it out by trying to figure out the tuning on his guitar. Slowing down the recordings to make the guitar into a standard tuning also made his voice sound much more natural.

[@rikki030381]

Incredibly interesting. Would love more video on old musicians that didn’t post everything on Instagram

[@okiedynaholic4154]

Really liking these musician videos been waiting for these forever. I'm glad y'all are doing em.

[@Xelor69]

You took too long to make this one man, thank you. Love the channel.

[@theartistknownaszack9234]

I just ordered the King of the Delta Blues Singers vinyl I'm so excited

[@awzthemusicalreviews]

"Some kind of guitar teacher" Yo, give Ike Zimmerman a bit more love than that lol

[@starvingbuddha7622]

Playin on graves at midnight!

[@randymills5089]

@@starvingbuddha7622 ], just one. I've visited the location (not recommended), and have photographed the grave Ike taught Johnson how to play on.

[@Diispaceyone]

Been listening to a lot of blues and Robert Johnson lately. This video came at a nice time.

[@OdariArt]

I would love to see you do segments on Ramesses II, Lucky Luciano, Shaka Zulu, just to name a few. I'm getting spoiled now lol.

[@phantombeard6262]

Faustian deals are not new in music. Maybe a bio on Niccolo Paganini? He was claimed to be one of the people who sold their soul to the devil. Love it when you guys do musicians. Stay safe Simon and the rest of the Biographics team!

[@vanessathomas7437]

Would love an in-depth bio on him too! Simon has found his "rhythm"!

[@NIKETROOPER]

How weird ,, was going to leave a comment requesting you to make this vid.. and here it is! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@christineparis5607]

Robert Johnson recorded his classics about 10 minutes from where I live. The hotel is haunted anyway, even before Robert did his thing, but the square of that area has always been known as the Devils Square. For some reason, there are hundreds of stories of demons or the big D himself, showing up and dancing with women who are smitten until they look down and see that their dance partner has hooves instead of regular feet. Canary Islanders had a cemetary there in the 1730s, so the spirits are probably restless since there are mercado and hotels built over them. There are also stories of people seeing grim reapers rising up and following late night revelers...

[@tdubya75]

Help a Yankee out. You talking about San Antonio or Dallas?

[@Sevren_]

I also wanna sell my soul, where is it specifically

[@christineparis5607]

@@tdubya75 This is in San Antonio. Right near the Alamo. The Menger Hotel is also right next to the Alamo, been there since the Alamo fell, and was built on ground that had been fought over. That is one haunted hotel! Ghost tours practically guarantee you'll see paranormal activity because it's so common. Also, a lot of people used to move into the hotel when they were sick, coming in from their ranches miles away to be seen by the doctor and waited on by staff who could bring them food, etc. A lot of people naturally died there from different illnesses, so their spirits seem to be around too. I love the Menger, it feels very active, but not threatening or scary. I think people who die just don't want to leave. I'd haunt it, it's so beautiful and old fashioned!

[@tdubya75]

christine paris No kidding? I was in San Antonio not too long ago with a few days to kill. Wish I had known about it. Definitely would have checked it out. Next time for sure.

[@UnicornsPoopRainbows]

Timeless did an episode about Robert Johnson. One of my favorite episodes!

[@michaelsalerno9342]

Not sure if this is a nice comment but I can always rely on you to put my mind at ease and drift off to sleep

[@augsdoggs]

What a cool, unexpected treat, seeing a new Biographic of Robert Johnson show up today! Really informative too. 😎

[@LOTR22090able]

One of my favorite Supernatural episodes told his story

[@vanessathomas7437]

Love Supernatural...gotta find that episode!

[@LOTR22090able]

It's the introduction of the crossroads demons. Season 2 or 3 I think

[@jessicaavery1080]

Season 2. Crossroad Blues, episode 8 (ive watched SPN waaaaay to much...lol)

[@garydupuis2796]

I still have my tape cassettes of his Complete Recordings, and I play his songs frequently in my shows.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

0:50 - Chapter 1 - Humble beginnings 3:35 - Chapter 2 - Birth of the legend 5:20 - Chapter 3 - Creating a lasting impression 7:35 - Chapter 4 - Under the influence 8:20 - Chapter 5 - A mysterious end 9:40 - Chapter 6 - The legacy

[@m39fan]

Well done and thank you. He has long been a favorite!

[@tammyrogne1471]

So very interesting!👍

[@robertfaro9756]

One my guitar idols.

[@musicsfan1]

I watched a biography on him on Netflix a few days ago and now this pops up! Scary timing

[@bpabustan]

Bar none, Robert Johnson is my favorite blues musician of all time.

[@mapinxumalo5216]

Thank you so much for this. RJ is my idol

[@fabianoduartepereiradossantos]

I love all the songs of the most famous celebrities who died at the age of 27, such as: Robert Johnson (05/08/1911 - 08/16/1938), Brian Jones - the founder of The Rolling Stones (02/28/1942 - 07/03/1969), Jimi Hendrix (11/27/1942 - 09/18/1970), Janis Joplin (01/19/1943 - 10/04/1970), Jim Morrison - singer of The Doors (12/08/1943 - 07/03/1971), Kurt Cobain - the founder of Nirvana (02/20/1967 - 04/05/1994) and Amy Winehouse (09/14/1983 - 07/23/2011). There are so many others musicians who died at the age of 27 years old, but those I've mentioned, defenitely are the most famous!

[@bashanti83]

Love it Simon! Love the work you and your team do!!

[@YourFriendlyProgram_Agetha]

Short, but fascinating.

[@pamelamays4186]

The first of the 27 Club.

[@pinkygirlno]

Pamela Mays that was my first thought! I was like, “hmm, maybe his crossroads story isn’t so far off.”

[@vanessathomas7437]

Wow! He sure was!

[@nicolew6904]

They got one helluva band.

[@kimberlypatton9634]

In " O, Brother Where Art Thou".the character of Tommy was patterned after R.Johnson.The boys picked him up at a remote crossroads in the middle of nowhere and when they asked him why he sold his soul to the devil to be great at the guitar he replied ," Well, I waren't usin' it.."

[@tomattah_]

04:32 - 05:14 Hallelujah

[@VideoGamesInTheAM]

I would love to see one of these on Nefertiti

[@kindleyfernand4389]

Y'all remember Medgar Evers, who wants to see a Biographic on him?

[@donna25871]

kindley fernand his brother died last week.

[@kindleyfernand4389]

@@donna25871 😢😢😢

[@PGar58]

I suggested this a while ago. Glad to see it.

[@caleb1rshelton]

He studied guitar from a bluesman named Ike Zimmerman. The "devil" who he sold his soul to was the "devil's tone" or the tritone that he found ways to work into his guitar playing.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank You

[@JMeara]

Simon, I love your work. You could have, kinda in passing, mentioned Paganini. He too was alledged to have sold his soul to the devil. Way before RLJ.

[@CrashedOutComedy]

Got them Quarantine Whiskers

[@mrmagoo8956]

If you guys did a Biographics for Chuck schuldiner I’d be forever grateful... Underrated musician taken way too early.

[@chrisholbrooks412]

Most important musician of the 20th century

[@atuamaede4deitada]

I would love to see Bob Marley! Keep up the amazing content

[@MF_UNDERTOW]

Can we talk about Simon using the word “copped?” Well played, sir.

[@rewanji]

You missed "Ghost World", an almost central theme to that movie. Worth checking...

[@christopherumberger6142]

Excellent movie. One of my favorites

[@mayuka150]

So happy to see you do this, especially the shout out to the movie Crossroads. Can you please do one on Frank Zappa!

[@greentree68]

I have some ideas for future videos: 1. Janis Joplin 2. Burt Reynolds 3. Syd Barrett

[@SuperYouthful]

I am not going anywhere... not gonna die...

[@rami_ungar_writer]

Please do videos on the following people: 1. Dennis Rader 2. Jack London 3. Upton Sinclair 4. Jack Ketchum 5. Jane Austen 6. Anton LaVey

[@mangot589]

Rami Ungar Upton Sinclair would be awesome.

[@Nick-dc3vv]

I’m super interested in Anton LaVey

[@knightwing5169]

Yes. Absolutely.

[@pandorasbox4238]

Back in those days, two wives lost in childbirth would make a dude think he's cursed. It's no wonder he never remarried. If he'd have lived longer, something tells me he wouldn't have until later in life, if at all.

[@fvckyoutubescensorshipandt2718]

Wonder if he's related to Eric Johnson (of Cliffs of Dover fame). I heard He also made a deal with the Devil. No one knows what Eric got, but the Devil got some guitar lessons.

[@sschmidtevalue]

Eric's great, but I doubt that they're related by anything more than musical spirit. Johnson is an extremely common name for both blacks and whites.

[@natkatmac]

I'm not one for believing tall tales. But for Robert Johnson I'll make an exception.