Blind Wille Johnson Biography and Album Guide

Classic Rock and Roots

Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945), commonly known as Blind Willie Johnson, was an American gospel blues singer and guitarist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930, thirty songs in all, display a combination of powerful chest voice singing, slide guitar skills and originality that has influenced generations of musicians. His records sold well though as a street performer and preacher, he had little wealth in his lifetime. His life was poorly documented, but over time, music historians such as Samuel Charters have uncovered more about him and his five recording sessions.

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00:00Blind Willie Johnson was born near Brenham, Texas, in 1897.

00:06Johnson is one of the greatest guitarists in the history of blues music

00:09and likely the greatest slide guitarist in the country blues genre.

00:14Johnson is considered a gospel performer by many,

00:17as most of his recordings were of a religious nature.

00:21Johnson was not blind from birth.

00:23It is not entirely clear how he lost his eyesight,

00:26but it has been suggested that his stepmother threw lie in his eyes to exact revenge on his father.

00:35Johnson began singing on street corners for tips as a youth.

00:39He continued busking for many years when this was apparently his only source of income.

00:45He busked in several Texas cities,

00:47but it seems he spent most of his time in the Texas town Beaumont.

00:52Johnson only made 30 commercial recordings in his lifetime.

00:56These recordings were made for Columbia Records between 1927 and 1930.

01:03Fortunately, Johnson recorded after the advent of microphones,

01:07and his recordings are of quite high fidelity.

01:11Among his best-known sides are the following.

01:15God Moves on the Water,

01:17a song about the sinking of the Titanic,

01:20Nobody's Fault But Mine,

01:21which was recorded by Led Zeppelin,

01:24Motherless Children,

01:25which was recorded by Eric Clapton,

01:28and John the Revelator,

01:30which has been covered by many artists.

01:33Johnson was poor throughout his life,

01:36and it was his status as an African-American resident of the American South

01:40that contributed to his early demise.

01:43After his house was destroyed by fire,

01:46Johnson, with no place to go,

01:48was forced to sleep in its scorched remains.

01:51He contracted malarial fever,

01:54and when his wife brought him to hospital,

01:56he was refused admittance,

01:58likely because he was black.

02:00Without treatment, he succumbed to the fever

02:03on September 18, 1945.

02:07Of several fine compilations of Johnson's music,

02:10Praise God I'm Satisfied, from 1977,

02:15Sweeter as the Years Go By, from 1990,

02:18and The Complete Blind Willie Johnson, from 1993,

02:24are all highly recommended.

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