Blind Willie Johnson
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Born
Died
Genres
Occupation(s)
Why were so many blues musicians blind?
Blindness was a symptom of diseases associated with malnutrition. Many of these people grew up in extreme poverty and sickness was rife. Once blind they were no good for working the land etc, so their only recourse was to sit down with a guitar as a means of earning money.
Is Blind Willie Johnson Blind Willie McTell?
Johnson met Blind Willie McTell, a popular street musician in Atlanta, and the two blind singers traveled and performed together throughout the Southeast for several months before Johnson returned to Beaumont.
Where is Blind Willie Johnson from?
Texas
How was Blind Willie Johnson blinded?
He grew up in rural eastern Texas. When he was seven years old, his stepmother, fighting with his father, threw lye in Johnson's face, permanently blinding him.
What is Blind Willie Johnson's real name?
Larry Willoughby Collection, Courtesy of Huey Meaux. Johnson, "Blind Willie" (1897–1945). “Blind Willie” Johnson, known as the “Sightless Visionary” and bluesman and virtuoso of the "bottleneck" or slide guitar, was born near Brenham, Texas, on (according to his death certificate).
What guitar did blind Willie play?
Most likely, the guitar he played was some inexpensive instrument like a small-bodied Stella. A hint of its pedigree comes form Texas bluesman Mance Lipscomb, who used to tune Johnson's guitar for him when eh played in Lipscombs' hometown of Navasota: “He had a old rough guitar, it was rusty as a terrapin.
How did Blind Willie Johnson play slide guitar?
Seminal gospel-blues artist Blind Willie Johnson is regarded as one of the greatest bottleneck slide guitarists. As he got older, Johnson began earning money by playing his guitar, one of the few avenues left to a blind man to earn a living. Instead of a bottleneck, Johnson actually played slide with a pocketknife.
Was Blind Willie Johnson really blind?
Johnson was born on , in Pendleton, Texas, a small town near Temple, Texas, to sharecropper George Johnson (also identified as Willie Johnson Sr.) Johnson was not born blind, though he was impaired with the disability at an early age.
What did Blind Willie Johnson play?
Blind Willie Johnson, (born , Independence, near Brenham, Texas, U.S.—died , Beaumont, Texas), American gospel blues singer and guitar player who performed on Southern streets and was noted for the energy and power of his singing and for his ingenious slide guitar accompaniments.