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Up jumped the Devil : the real life of Robert Johnson / Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublisher: Chicago, Illinois : Chicago Review Press Incorporated, [2019]Copyright date: ©2019Edition: First editionDescription: ix, 326 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781641600941
  • 1641600942
Other title:
  • Real life of Robert Johnson
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
Robert Johnson is in town -- Before the beginning -- Memphis days -- Back to the delta -- Musical roots and identity -- Marriage, death, and the blues -- The music begins -- Here comes that guitar man -- Ramblin' at the crossroads -- Traveling riverside blues -- I'm booked and bound to go -- Kind hearted women -- I left with my head cut -- Gotta keep moving', blues fallin' down like hail -- When I leave this town I'm gon' bid you fare, farewell -- You may bury my body down by the highway side -- Epilogue: last fair deal goin' down.
Summary: "Robert Johnson is the subject of the most famous myth about the blues: he allegedly sold his soul at the crossroads in exchange for his incredible talent, and this deal led to his death at age 27. But the actual story of his life remains unknown save for a few inaccurate anecdotes. Up Jumped the Devil is the result of over 50 years of research. Gayle Dean Wardlow has been interviewing people who knew Robert Johnson since the early 1960s, and he was the person who discovered Johnson's death certificate in 1967. Bruce Conforth began his study of Johnson's life and music in 1970 and made it his mission to fill in what was still unknown about him. In this definitive biography, the two authors relied on every interview, resource and document, most of it material no one has seen before. As a result, this book not only destroys every myth that ever surrounded Johnson, but also tells a human story of a real person. It is the first book about Johnson that documents his years in Memphis, details his trip to New York, uncovers where and when his wife Virginia died and the impact this had on him, fully portrays the other women Johnson was involved with, and tells exactly how and why he died and who gave him the poison that killed him. Up Jumped the Devil will astonish blues fans who thought they knew something about Johnson" -- Google Books.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library Biography Johnson, R. C748 Available 33111009681988
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The Penderyn 2020 Music Book Prize (UK edition) Living Blues Critics Choice Best Blues Book of 2019 Living Blues Readers Choice Best Blues Book of 2019 Certificate of Merit in the Best Historical Research in Recorded Blues, Soul, Gospel, or R&B category from ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections) An essential story of blues lore, black culture, and American music history



Robert Johnson's recordings, made in 1936 and 1937, have profoundly influenced generations of singers, guitarists, and songwriters. Yet until now, his short life--he was murdered at the age of 27--has been poorly documented.



Gayle Dean Wardlow has been interviewing people who knew Johnson since the early 1960s, and he was the person who discovered Johnson's death certificate in 1967. Bruce Conforth began his study of Johnson's life and music in 1970 and made it his mission to fill in what was still unknown about him. In this definitive biography, the two authors relied on every interview, resource, and document, much of it material no one has seen before .



This is the first book about Johnson that documents his lifelong relationship with family and friends in Memphis, details his trip to New York, uncovers where and when his wife Virginia died and the impact this had on him, fully portrays the other women Johnson was involved with and tells exactly how and why he died and who gave him the poison that killed him.



Up Jumped the Devil will astonish blues fans worldwide by painting a living, breathing portrait of a man who was heretofore little more than a legend.

"An A Cappella Book."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 277-289) and index.

Robert Johnson is in town -- Before the beginning -- Memphis days -- Back to the delta -- Musical roots and identity -- Marriage, death, and the blues -- The music begins -- Here comes that guitar man -- Ramblin' at the crossroads -- Traveling riverside blues -- I'm booked and bound to go -- Kind hearted women -- I left with my head cut -- Gotta keep moving', blues fallin' down like hail -- When I leave this town I'm gon' bid you fare, farewell -- You may bury my body down by the highway side -- Epilogue: last fair deal goin' down.

"Robert Johnson is the subject of the most famous myth about the blues: he allegedly sold his soul at the crossroads in exchange for his incredible talent, and this deal led to his death at age 27. But the actual story of his life remains unknown save for a few inaccurate anecdotes. Up Jumped the Devil is the result of over 50 years of research. Gayle Dean Wardlow has been interviewing people who knew Robert Johnson since the early 1960s, and he was the person who discovered Johnson's death certificate in 1967. Bruce Conforth began his study of Johnson's life and music in 1970 and made it his mission to fill in what was still unknown about him. In this definitive biography, the two authors relied on every interview, resource and document, most of it material no one has seen before. As a result, this book not only destroys every myth that ever surrounded Johnson, but also tells a human story of a real person. It is the first book about Johnson that documents his years in Memphis, details his trip to New York, uncovers where and when his wife Virginia died and the impact this had on him, fully portrays the other women Johnson was involved with, and tells exactly how and why he died and who gave him the poison that killed him. Up Jumped the Devil will astonish blues fans who thought they knew something about Johnson" -- Google Books.

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