Jump to content

Robert Johnson: rare new photograph of delta blues king authenticated after eight years

reswati

By reswati
in Other Bands / Music

Recommended Posts

reswati

reswati

Posted
Posted

Perhaps the most infamous music deal ever struck involved no contracts and no lawyers. The blues singer Robert Johnson, so the legend goes, acquired his unearthly musical talent after meeting the devil at a crossroads.

Until now, there were only two verified photographs of Johnson (1911-1938), who remains the most inspirational musician produced by the Mississippi Delta and the man Eric Clapton once anointed as "the most important blues musician who ever lived". This weekend a third, newly cleaned-up and authenticated image has been released by the Johnson estate showing him standing next to musician Johnny Shines.

Forensic work on the photograph began in 2007, when Lois Gibson, who works with the Houston police department, analysed the features of the long-fingered figure holding the guitar. Gibson, who found the identity of the sailor kissing the nurse in the Life magazine photo of Times Square on VJ day the second world war ended, has ruled that "it appears the individual is Robert Johnson. All the features are consistent, if not identical." The only differences, she added, were due to the angle of the camera or the lighting.

The new photograph came to light eight years ago, when a classical guitarist called Steven "Zeke" Schein was searching eBay for an old guitar. He spotted a thumbnail picture with a caption that read "Old Snapshot Blues Guitar BB King???" and bought it. On inspection neither man in the photograph looked like BB King, but Schein noticed the length of the man's fingers on the guitar and the way his left eye was narrower than his right.

One of the other two known photographs of Johnson is postage stamp size and is thought to have been taken in a booth in the 1930s. It was first published in Rolling Stone in 1986, the year that Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and shows him in a button-down shirt, staring directly at the lens. A cigarette hangs from his lips and his long fingers rest on a guitar neck.

The second image was taken at the Hooks Bros photographic studio in Memphis. In it, Johnson sits cross-legged on a stool with his guitar, wearing a pin-striped suit and a tie. This portrait was used on the cover of Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings, the two-CD boxed set issued by Columbia Records in 1990.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/feb/03/robert-johnson-photograph-identified

Robert-Johnson-poses-with-010.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mielazul

mielazul

Posted
Posted

Great post! That's Willie Brown with him, isn't it? I seem to remember reading that, when I checked out this photo a while back. It would be cool if it is, since they were good friends, and Robert mentions Willie Brown in one of his songs. Thanks reswati

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mielazul

mielazul

Posted
Posted

I looked it up, and the other man is supposed to be Robert Shines, not Willie Brown. And hecube, I don't think reswati was posting the photo as news, but just updating on the recent effort at authentication. And it does seem to be accepted as authentic now, from what I've read. I'd be interested if you can link me to the skeptic position, though. I've always been a fan of Robert Johnson, and in the end it doesn't matter to me if the photo is authentic, but it's still of interest to me what people have to say about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
reswati

reswati

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I did post it as an update (the picture was discovered in 2005), had no idea the thing was debunked.

The only thing that mattered to me was that the Johnson estate now sees it as "authentic" and that the image has been cleaned up and restored.

Whatever may be the case, there's always room for speculation, and we may never know for sure if this guy was RJ or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sagittarius Rising

Sagittarius Rising

Posted
Posted

I love RJ, but the whole devil at the crossroads is just BS, urban legend which makes the man and the story larger than life. RJ was supposedly a crappy guitarists at best when he was first hanging about the juke joints. He then disappears for a year and reappears as a massive talent. Sounds like a poor out of work share-cropper with nothing better to do and a couple of fat women with self esteem issues supporting him, decided to find a mentor and dedicated a year to perfecting his technique. Nothing mysterious there.

Great picture though whether real or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mielazul

mielazul

Posted
Posted

^^^ Are you serious? You honestly believe that Robert Johnson and Jimmy Page sold their souls for their guitar expertise? :rolleyes: Johnson's and Page's mastery of the guitar came from dedication and practice, not a deal with the devil.

I said "leaving the devil out of it," and you somehow read something about selling souls into my posts. Come on, man...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Led Dirigible

Led Dirigible

Posted
Posted

I said "leaving the devil out of it," and you somehow read something about selling souls into my posts. Come on, man...

My apologies, I did misread your post. When you said "leaving the devil out of it" I thought you meant you didn't know how they became so good without the devil. :peace:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mielazul

mielazul

Posted
Posted

My apologies, I did misread your post. When you said "leaving the devil out of it" I thought you meant you didn't know how they became so good without the devil. :peace:

It's cool. I'd try to restate what I was saying in a hopefully clearer way, but I'm watching the Super Bowl now. So thanks for the apology...peace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kingzoso

kingzoso

Posted
Posted

Anyone seen this?:

http://youtu.be/ZSV69BO2Uak

Very interesting. I Love Robert Johnson. I believe that if it were not for Robert Johnson, Rock and Roll and Music in general would not be what is, was or ever would be. Robert Johnson is the King of the Delta Blues and the Man that started it ALL!!!

Just ask Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, et all... They will say the same thing.

Long Live Robert Johnson and His Legendary Influence.

"Squeeze My Lemon..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Led Dirigible

Led Dirigible

Posted
Posted

Anyone seen this?:

http://youtu.be/ZSV69BO2Uak

Very interesting. I Love Robert Johnson. I believe that if it were not for Robert Johnson, Rock and Roll and Music in general would not be what is, was or ever would be. Robert Johnson is the King of the Delta Blues and the Man that started it ALL!!!

Just ask Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, et all... They will say the same thing.

Long Live Robert Johnson and His Legendary Influence.

"Squeeze My Lemon..."

Did anyone else notice the "666" on the sign in the window at 3:46? :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kingzoso

kingzoso

Posted
Posted

My God, look at those fingers! (pic on right)

I just finished reading the Vanity Fair article. I have to say that after reading that, I am more of a Robert Johnson fan then I was before reading it. Amazing stuff in that article. I really want to believe that that the newest picture to emerge is that of a young Robert Johnson. However, with only two other "known" photographs of the King of the Delta Blues, I am as just confused (and mesmerized) as those who contributed to the article. Those with more knowledge of the Man and the Legend.

Thanks for posting the link.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

LEDZEPPELIN.com

Site Navigation

  • LedZeppelin.com Home
  • News
  • Discography
  • Merchandise
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

    • Led Zeppelin Timeline

  • Concert Timeline / Database
  • Events
  • Photos
  • Video
    • ×
    ×
    • Create New...