Did Muddy Waters Ever Meet Robert Johnson? - Two Blues Legends, and Son House

[@janiterinadrum1627]

Back in the late 70s when I was a teenager.. I bought “king of the delta, blues singers”.. I went from Kansas, Black Sabbath, CSNY and Jethro Tull.. and developed a deep love for old blues something about it just gave me goosebumps.. it still does

[@MisterRlGHT]

A local kid who did know both Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters quite well was young Chester Arthur Burnette, who grew up to be Howling Wolf.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

true!

[@larryn2682]

Kid? Howlin' Wolf was a year older than Robert Johnson and three years older than Muddy Waters.

[@MisterRlGHT]

@@larryn2682 Robert Johnson was a kid at the time too..

[@Pentagonshark666]

This is the reason why Elvis Presley played "That's all right" and others blues songs so good, he had the greatest influences of all.

[@Beachbumartist]

I bet he saw Robert play more than he let on because he said Robert was a dangerous man so I bet he saw him up close and was amazed.

[@cobraferrariwars]

Friars Point on the front porch of the drug store -- forgot the name. Muddy watched Johnson play.

[@cognoscenticycles4351]

It would have been a good idea to ask David Honeyboy Edwards who knew and travelled with Robert Johnson if he ever met Muddy Waters in the early days. I had the good fortune to see David Edwards play here at Harbourfront in Toronto and to speak to him after the show. He was a kind and soft spoken man.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Your right. It's kind of amazing no one did...or at least asked while recording.

[@talstory]

I remember hearing another account which said that Muddy heard this guy on a street corner and he was sort of shaken by what he heard that he didn't make contact, he thought it was Johnson..

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Yeah. He told that story. Muddy said it was down at Friars Point. It was at the Hirsburg store...which was a popular spot for blues musicians to play. Robert Johnson was known to play there often, and is who most people think about playing there. Muddy stated this long before this was commonly known, so he obviously knew about Johnson playing there. Thanks for posting! :) (Here is my visit to the building where Hirsburg's was.) kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWbUd3hmbq9of6c

[@MojoMagic977]

Keep ‘em coming…. Takes my mind to a great spot I really like… thx.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Thank you very much!

[@AnthonyRenzulli]

Your videos are extremely important. Please do one on Elmore James. Thanks in advance 😎🎸

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Thank you for your kind words! Also, I appreciate the suggestion. I love listening to Elmore James! Is there anything in particular about James you'd like me to look into? Thanks, again!

[@AnthonyRenzulli]

@@StillLivinTheBlues places that he played would really interest me. Also the history behind the Trumpet recordings with Sonny Boy Williamson. Most importantly for me the most information about last recordings he did. Cheers man! Thanks again

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

@@AnthonyRenzulli Give me some time and I will look around to see what I can find! :) Have a good one!

[@AnthonyRenzulli]

Looking forward to it. Thanks so much! 😎

[@richardjones1754]

I loved this , it's kinda spooky in a way that they all were fr I m same area and had their own styles !! Thank you I enjoyed it immensely!!! 😊

[@brendantreanor2428]

great story thanks

[@jimsliverootsculturemusic]

Muddy says he saw Robert play live a few times and he also listened to Robert's records. Then he says he never saw Robert play live. This is so typical in blues research! But maybe it's like the narrator says, Muddy saw Robert but didn't get a chance to study his technique as he had done with Son House. On the Lomax Plantation recordings, Alan asks who was better, Son or Robert, and Muddy answers, "I reckon they're both about equal." If you've only heard Son House's stuff from his 60's rediscovery, you might wonder if Muddy was just being diplomatic but Muddy saw Son play when he was at his full powers! I've read that when Muddy played a folk festival with Son House, the band members were making fun of this old man (who got SO drunk, one story says at the hands of Spider John Koerner). But Muddy told them to be quiet and show respect, that the man had played things they couldn't imagine. One other thing I read is that Muddy once saw Robert maybe across the street but he didn't go up to meet him since he was too spooked by Robert's singing so much about evil spirits and occult happenings. Maybe that ties this whole story together: Muddy saw him but didn't get to know him personally.

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

Good research, and a very likely possibility that their ships passed in the Mississippi night at some point.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Thank you.

[@vincentbuccieri9305]

I Think there May Have Been Contact Between the Two. When You are a Serious and Up and Comming Musician, You Make it a Point to Get Out to See as Many of the Popular Musicians in The Genre You Love , For Pleasure and Part of Your Learning Experience!

[@marcusjeanpirae7450]

Muddy said himself in an interview with Alan Lomax that he did not meet Robert J, but that he did meet and learn from Son House. 👍🏼🎸

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Relisten to it. Muddy said he didn't know Robert personally... He's also said he saw him play in Friar's Point. He just didn't know the guitar on a personal level like he did Son House.

[@jeffbone8475]

Great research man! Very, very interesting stuff.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

thanks!

[@GTTg-kr2xh]

Jimmy Page studied these two pioneers like crazy. You can hear it.

[@barbaragorny1527]

Great to hear n see these pics... nice audio...ty...👩‍💼

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Thank you!

[@ACOUSTIC_4LOVE]

Muddy no Doubt saw Johnson, but likely just briefly. Did he know Johnson personally-No. Muddy’s Earliest recorded tunes are heavy Acoustic slide in the Delta form. There were a bunch of Bluesman around those parts in Early-late 1930s. J. Tefteller’ from Oregon has the largest collection of original Early Blues 78 rpm wax. Interesting that most of those more obscure Bluesman sounded much Like Patton, Tommy Johnson and son House.

[@tomy.1846]

Excellent story telling, your conclusion sounds very plausible to me! 😎😎

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Thank you!

[@poortmarktpoortmarkt448]

Tnx

[@juanguerra596]

Also Muddy when asked why he didn’t approach RJ when he saw him play from a distance, Muddy replied that RJ was “dangerous”. Basically there was a “dangerous” aura that repelled Muddy from getting to close to RJ when he would see him busking around Mississippi, and this fits with Muddy saying he didn’t know him personally.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Good point! Thank you.

[@juanguerra596]

Thanks too, and I will try and find the source of interview where Muddy said he saw RJ in his hometown busking in front of small crowd from a block away and when interviewer asked well why didn’t you get closer? Muddy responded “he’s too dangerous”, “you don’t get too close to someone like that”.

[@MrToucana]

@@juanguerra596 I recall reading an interview like this which I think appeared in Rolling Stone c.1974/5. If I remember rightly, Muddy Waters also described Robert Johnson as a 'small dark man', and said he was playing a resonator guitar - (Other sources suggest Johnson was playing a resonator with a double top E string to give an extra cut on his slide playing during his last months).

[@DocM.]

Can you talk about Willie Brown? The only Willie Brown I know is the character in Crossroads, are they the same person?

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Kind of. The movie Willie Brown was inspired by the real Willie Brown who played with Robert Johnson. However, they can't be the same person. The real Willie Brown was a guitar player who died in the 1950's.

[@malaquiasalfaro81]

Epic video. That riff in the background, what song is that from?

[@crimson_sun7274]

"Rollin Stone" by Muddy Waters.

[@greghoppe3973]

Eric Clapton has stated he spoke with Muddy Waters about this subject. Muddy said he came across a group of people listening to a man singing and playing the blues. They said it was Robert Johnson. Muddy said it could have been Robert Johnson. Muddy stated years later he saw a picture of Robert Johnson before it was shown to the public and he really thinks it was Robert Johnson.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Do you remember where you saw/read this at? I'd like to look this up. If I remember correctly, Muddy also mentioned once that he saw Robert playing in Friars Point.

[@supportingsmallyoutubers4300]

Sounds like truth to me!

[@chrisblades104]

I know it's a rollin stone type jig ,but what actually is that recording from? I heard it in a nother you tube video. Is it a modern recording ment to sound old or is it a old recording? Thx

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

KZbin has free music available for folks to use. It's from that.

[@janiterinadrum1627]

In 1930 towns that were 10 miles apart might as well it’s been on the other side of the country you didn’t have a car and you weren’t gonna walk the floor

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

You are incorrect. There was automobiles in their day. They might not have owned one, but people had autombiles. There was also trains that they hitched rides... It might be good if you studied history a bit more. How do you think Muddy got to St. Louis? Or, Chicago? How do you think Robert went around from town to town playing music? He was on the road a lot. Come on man... learn your stuff.

[@janiterinadrum1627]

The devil, or Satan had nothing to do with it… robert went away and practiced “Woodshedding” That’s how he became a master of the blues … the same way, every great guitar player became the master at their craft you could be born with a certain amount of it but unless your practice over and over and over you’ll just be another guy

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Obviously.

[@migueleldorado1720]

they HAD THE RECORDS and they knew all the players ROBERT was a nobody IN THE WORLD at that time HAD HE MADE THE GIG in NEW YORK maybe things would be different MUDDY WAS KING of THE delta then MOVED UP TO CHICAGO this change to ELECTRIC is what made HIM FAMOUS old school had no POWER STATIONS by moving up north you got A/C amps AND ELECTRIC GUITARS... MUDDY was a nice man where JOHNSON HAD A BAD REPUTATION but found his TALENT in the ALABAMA AREA learning that FINGER STYLE from old man ZIMMERMAN he also stepped on toes OF OTHER MENS WIVES THIS LEADS to his SITUATION playing at the BAR of the MAN HE DID WRONG a SISTER fed him THE bottle WITH TAINTED BOOZE they all knew what was happening WHEN SONNY BOY his friend saw him he was already DOPED UP and could not strum the GUITAR THE song CROSSROAD is his final MESSAGE to the WORLD as the LEGEND GREW over TIME . WAS A GOOD VIDEO THANKS

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Thanks, man!

[@andremiller4863]

He met Ike Zimmerman in Mississippi not too far from his hometown

[@andremiller4863]

Johnson's final message to the world was written on a piece of paper just before he died...

[@legendofgood4278]

He said he didn't in an interview

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

No he didn't. He said he didn't know him PERSONALLY.

[@damonff]

@@StillLivinTheBlues Personally is the key word. He totally met him, saw him play, but Muddy was just some guy in the crowd...

[@slimeydon]

Johnson would play street corners and then play in juke joints. That’s probably how Muddy saw him.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

yup!

[@MrSqilz]

How comes you insist that muddy waters saw him when he said himself that he didn’t?

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Because Muddy DID see Robert Johnson... Muddy said he saw Robert Johnson play at the Hirsberg Drugstore in Friars Point. Do a search on Google about it. Let me know if you have any trouble finding it, and I will get you some links to look at. Plus, Muddy just told Lomax he didn't know him personally. I don't know you personally, but we've communicated/talked. I just said it's possible they may they have have briefly met, talked, etc...

[@johnmirabile3535]

ALL I KNOW IS THERES THE SAME SMOKEY, CREEPY, FIGURE, IN JOHNSON AND WILLIAMS PICTURES! ITS ALMOST IDENTICAL! SCARYYY!

[@supportingsmallyoutubers4300]

What figure?

[@johnmirabile3535]

@@supportingsmallyoutubers4300 Look at this video, your gonna see a pic of big joe williams in a suit and on the right side of him theres a smokey looking creepy hazey anomoly, and then in a different photo of robert johnson in a suit posing simular with the same evil puff of smoke, just gives me a creepy feeling, i just saw a show the night before about a haunted house in long island and a young girl who was being harrased took photos of the demon AND ITS THR SAME EXACT SMOKY EERY PUFF OF SMOKE BUT IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN MAKE OUT A DEMONIC FACE, CHECK IT OUT. JUST PAUSE IT WHEN IY GETS TO WILLIAMS PIC SND DO THE SAME WITH JOHNSONS PIC, GET BACK TO ME TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE...

[@johnmirabile3535]

@@supportingsmallyoutubers4300 THE PIC OF WILLIAMS STARTS AT 2;16 AND JOHNSONS AT 6;12 THATS CREEPY ENOUGH SAME NUMBER JUST TWISTED AROUND CREEEEPYYY

[@BeatSyncBytes]

Answer: we don't know

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

lol, except when Muddy said he saw him play...

[@alexkrummenacher5050]

Sound track is really annoying - too repetitive.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

lol. Ok, thanks.

[@CBfballfan]

I was invested in the spoken word., so I thought it was great bluesy background music without overpowering the commentary.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

@@CBfballfan Thanks!

[@jdrobinson3468]

sounds fine to me

[@dixon9]

@@jdrobinson3468 ..and me

[@MarioHernandez-te9gw]

Satan did?

[@dontgoout1434]

Son house had no influence over robert Johnson

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Yup, he did.

[@antiteroristickejedinicepo4830]

@@StillLivinTheBlues I think that Charley Patton and Ike Zimmermann influenced Johnson the most, what you think about that?

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

@@antiteroristickejedinicepo4830 Honestly? I don't know how we can really tell. I know a lot of people today want to say Ike Zimmerman is his "main teacher" and most influential, but there is no way to prove it. Some writers today are really wanting to stress that...but again, there is no real evidence to suggest Zimmerman was more influential to Robert than any other teacher.

[@antiteroristickejedinicepo4830]

@@StillLivinTheBlues who was the best delta blues guitarist for you Brown,Zimmermann,Johnson or Son House?

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

@@antiteroristickejedinicepo4830 Probably Johnson... Though I like how into the music Son House gets. There isn't any music of Ike Zimmerman to listen too.

[@mikewhelan9561]

Son House was never very good

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and a whole lot of others would disagree with you. Just sayin. ;)

[@michaelconner9904]

Robert knew Son House. Not sure about Muddy. In my opinion Robert could smoke Muddy he had a lot of tricks on the fret board.. The only song I like by Son was Death Letter blues In my opinion a lot of the great blues folks had things they did to boost Their sound performance . Muddys first real big move for his sound was hiring Little Walter to play the first amplified harmonica. In those days that was huge. During the days of Cadillac Records had taken on Howling Wolf, Etta James, Johnny Shines, and many other great great musicians in a time when some loved the blues and some called it Devil music. Whatever. I always enjoyed the blues. Skip James was my favorites. I loved his high pitched voice. He sang a lot of heart break music like , I'd rather be the devil than to be that woman's man. Which could touch you and bring tears. Cheers. Just remember a great blues number starts with> I woke up this morning. God bless all