Delta Blues, Part 3 - Tommy Johnson
by Don Erickson
Next to Charley Patton and Son House, no one was more important to
the development of pre-Robert Johnson Delta Blues than a real piece of
work named Tommy Johnson. Tommy (no relation to Robert) was born in 1896
on the George Miller plantation near the town of Terry, Mississippi.
Terry is located just south of Jackson and just north of Crystal
Springs, which became his home in 1910. This area of Mississippi is
south of the actual Delta area, but Tommy Johnson moved to the area
around Drew, which was the center for the Delta blues tradition.
Tommy had learned the rudiments of guitar from his brother Ledell and
they both moved to Drew around 1921. They played on a regular basis with
Charley Patton, Willie Brown and Dick Bankston. Bankston recalled that
Tommy was not really very good when he arrived, but that his music
improved rapidly.
When Tommy returned to Crystal Springs a year later, his sudden
improvement sparked the talk about him making a pact with the Devil at a
crossroads. This was years before the same thing was attributed to
Robert Johnson's remarkable ability.
Tommy became the kingpin of the Jackson blues scene, spreading the Delta
style of playing to that area and beyond. Tommy spent most of the '20s
drinking, womanizing, gambling and playing in the company of Rubin
Lacey, Charlie McCoy, Son Spand, Walter Vincent and Ishmon Bracey, among
others. Tommy did not possess a particular drive to promote himself and
played only when he needed money and when the spirit moved him. When he
did play, he put on quite a show, playing the guitar at times behind his
head in the fashion of Charley Patton.
Even though he was more serious about his drinking than his career, he
did travel to Memphis after being discovered by RCA/Victor talent scout,
H.C. Speirs. Speirs was so impressed with Johnson and his cohorts that
he rented a bus for them to make the trip. During that unforgettable
session, Johnson recorded his best works, followed by some excellent
sides from Ishmon Bracey and Charlie McCoy.
Johnson's releases became very popular in the South, inspiring many
up-and-coming artists such as Houston Stackhouse, Floyd Jones, Boogie
Bill Webb, Roosevelt Holts, Robert Nighthawk and the legendary Howlin'
Wolf, who imitated Tommy's wild performing style. Even Wolfman's
trademark howl was inspired by Johnson's penchant for going from a
smooth tenor voice to an eerie falsetto.
Johnson cut some more sides in 1930 for the Paramount label, largely
through the maneuvering of fellow drinking buddy Charley Patton.
Altogether Johnson only recorded 14 songs in his entire career, but his
style was kept alive through the years by his peers and disciples. His
best known song is "Big Road Blues" which has been covered by
countless artists since. Bonnie Raitt performed this song on her very
first album and Rory Block did a remarkable version on her album, Mama's
Blues. (Rory also covered Robert Johnson's "Terraplane
Blues" on this album and performed both of these songs at Border's
Book Shop in West Des Moines. If you ever get a chance to see Rory
Block, do not hesitate, as she displays an intoxicating blend of talent,
passion and beautiful power.) Another song of Tommy Johnson's was
"Canned Heat Blues" which details his struggle with trying to
find a "kick" by any means. Canned Heat is a nickname for
Sterno cooking fuel. (The blues-rock band Canned Heat took their name
from this song.) Tommy also was crazy and desperate enough to drink shoe
polish and denatured alcohol when whiskey wasn't available. He was
definitely an example of what not to do with your life, as he squandered
his money on his wild, gambling lifestyle. He never recorded any more
records, despite playing off and on at juke joints and house parties
right up until he died in 1956.
He was playing at a party in Crystal Spring for his niece's birthday
when he suffered a fatal heart attack, his body weakened from years of
abuse. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1987.
In next month's Blues Crier Robert Johnson will be featured. He
was a man who blended his influences into his own unique and personal
style, and is for many the epitome of the Delta Bluesman.
Reprinted with permission from the May 1997 issue of the Blues Crier
