Tommy Johnson (January 1896November 1, 1956) was an American Delta blues musician who recorded in the late 1920s and was known for his eerie falsetto voice and intricate guitar playing.

Early life

Johnson was born near Terry, Mississippi, and in about 1910 moved to Crystal Springs, where he lived for most of his life.

He learned to play the guitar and, by 1914, was supplementing his income by playing at local parties with his brothers Major and LeDell. In 1916 Johnson married and moved to Webb Jennings' plantation near Drew, Mississippi, close to the Dockery Plantation. There he met other musicians, including Charlie Patton and Willie Brown.

Career

By 1920, Johnson was an itinerant musician based in Crystal Springs but traveling widely around the South, sometimes accompanied by Papa Charlie McCoy. In 1928, he made his first recordings, with McCoy, for Victor Records,

Johnson's recordings established him as the premier Delta blues vocalist of his day, with a powerful voice that could go from a growl to a falsetto.

To enhance his fame, Johnson cultivated a sinister persona. According to his brother LeDell, he claimed to have sold his soul to the Devil at a crossroads in exchange for his mastery of the guitar. This story was later also associated with Robert Johnson, to whom Tommy Johnson was unrelated.

Death and memorial

Johnson died of a heart attack after playing at a local party in 1956. The headstone had been on public display in the Crystal Springs Public Library since being unveiled on October 20, 2001. On the night of Saturday, February 2, 2013, the headstone fell and was damaged. It is a matter of dispute whether it fell because it was inadequately secured or because it was pushed over or deliberately smashed.

The Tommy Johnson Blues Festival is held annually in Crystal Springs on the third weekend in October. The inaugural festival was held in Jackson and Crystal Springs in 2006.

In fiction

In the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), a character named Tommy Johnson, played by Chris Thomas King, describes selling his soul to the devil to play guitar. The Tommy Johnson character in the film plays a number of songs originally recorded by the blues musician Skip James and accompanies the Soggy Bottom Boys, a band consisting of the film's three main protagonists plus Johnson, on "Man of Constant Sorrow".

The story of Johnson's selling his soul to the devil was first told by his brother, LaDell Johnson, and reported by David Evans in his 1971 biography of Johnson.

Discography

Victor Records, 1928, Memphis, Tennessee

  • "Cool Drink of Water Blues"
  • "Big Road Blues"
  • "Bye-Bye Blues"
  • "Maggie Campbell Blues"
  • "Canned Heat Blues"
  • "Lonesome Home Blues" (take 1)
  • "Lonesome Home Blues" (take 2)
  • "Louisiana Blues" (unissued test)
  • "Big Fat Mama Blues"

Paramount Records, 1929, Grafton, Wisconsin

  • "I Wonder to Myself"
  • "Slidin' Delta"
  • "Lonesome Home Blues"
  • Untitled song, take 1 ("Morning Prayer Blues")
  • Untitled song, take 2 ("Boogaloosa Woman")
  • "Black Mare Blues" (take 1)
  • "Black Mare Blues" (take 2)
  • "Ridin' Horse"
  • "Alcohol and Jake Blues"
  • "I Want Someone to Love Me"
  • "Button Up Shoes" (unissued test)

References

  • Tommy Johnson Blues Foundation site
  • Illustrated Tommy Johnson discography
  • Site for "Crossroads: The Life and Afterlife of Blues Legend Robert Johnson" with links and material related to Tommy Johnson
  • Canned Heat Blues Lyrics
  • MP3 Audio file of "Canned Heat Blues" on The Internet Archive
  • Tommy Johnson on Paramount Records