MS - Court to decide royalties fate of guitar blues great Robert Johnson photos

[wfgodot]

Family at war over who owns copyright to only two known photographs of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson who 'sold his soul to the devil'
• Eric Clapton has called Johnson 'the most important blues singer that ever lived'
• He died penniless in Mississippi in 1938, but a collection of his recordings won a Grammy in 1990
• The decision now rests with the Mississippi Supreme Court who heard arguments from the two sides on Monday
• Family members and other associates have been locked in a legal dispute for 25 years over who owns the only two photos

the story and the pictures at Daily Mail link above

 

[wfgodot]

The "sold his soul to the devil" thing certainly impressed me when I was, like, twelve! Now - not so much. The story was an early (and an effective!) marketing ploy. Still, though - when one listens to RJ's "Hellhound on My Trail," one can see what made the story so easy to believe. There's something primal, something almost subterranean, about many of the sides he recorded. If not a Faustian artist, he certainly was at least a haunted one.

 

[wishuwerehere]

I went down to the crossroad
fell down on my knees
I went down to the crossroad
fell down on my knees
Asked the lord above "Have mercy now
save poor Bob if you please"

Robert Johnson CrossRoads - Cross Road Blues Song and Lyrics - YouTube

 

[Trident]

Drat you, LOL, I've spent the last couple of hours listening to Robert Johnson recordings. I've known about him for years, but today I just had to listen again. There was one song, forget which, where I heard Elvis. Methinks Elvis may have been a bit influenced, LOL.

 

[wfgodot]

Guardian:

'Robert Johnson' photo does not show the blues legend, music experts say
It was only the third image of the guitarist who, according to legend, sold his soul to the devil, his estate claimed.
Now 49 signatories say that’s not true