News and Blog

Happy Birthday To Robert Johnson

cmglisa — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:05:49 +0000

Happy Birthday to Robert Johnson! Today marks the 101st anniversary of the legendary Blues guitarist's birth. Check out this video at Music Matters and share it with friends!

Robert Johnson Video Tour Of Greenwood, Mississippi

cmglisa — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:44:27 +0000

Take a video tour of Greenwood, Mississippi to see the places that Robert Johnson frequented and where he is said to be laid to rest.

‘Robert Johnson At 100’ - Concert Review & Slideshow

cmglisa — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:14:45 +0000

It may have technically been a year late, but the centennial birthday tribute to Robert Johnson at the Apollo Theater was a fitting celebration of one of the most influential musicians who ever lived. Johnson recorded a mere 29 songs in two sessions more than seven decades ago, and a star-studded line-up performed a good portion of them. If the blues legend did indeed sell his soul to the devil, his spirit is clearly still reaping the rewards.

Robert Johnson International Blues Revue

cmglisa — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:53:23 +0000

Blues for your head, heart, and feet.
The biggest, baddest, boldest blues experience ever!

'Robert Johnson At 100' Show Is A Huge Hit

cmglisa — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:28:37 +0000

Everyone interesting in the music world was busy gossiping last night at the Apollo Theater for “Robert Johnson at 100.” The three hour show was a huge hit, with so many outstanding performers and performances–Sam Moore, Taj Mahal, Todd Rundgren, Elvis Costello, Bettye Lavette, Macy Gray, Sarah Dash, the Roots, the Dough Rollers, Living Colour, and so on. The great actor Joe Morton put the show together. He included his pal Geoffrey Wright. There was an all star band on stage featuring Steve Jordan and Willie Weeks.

Robert Johnson Is Red Hot Again At The Apollo

cmglisa — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:18:11 +0000

A New York tribute to Mississippi bluesman Robert Johnson to be held on Tuesday–featuring an eclectic bunch of musicians ranging from rappers to an R&B star–had a nearly two-decade-old gestation period. Veteran actor and director Joe Morton sought the backing of Columbia Records for a play about Johnson in the early 1990s. Steve Berkowitz, a music executive who then oversaw Columbia’s legacy recordings, was keenly interested, but the deal ultimately fell through. Around May 8, 2011 — the centenary of the birth of Johnson — Messrs.

Robert Johnson At 100

cmglisa — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:24:51 +0000

All-Star Tribute To Robert Johnson At 100 Adds Macy Gray, Chuck D, Living Colour, Robert Johnson's Grandson Rev. Steven Johnson And More, At Apollo Theater March 6

Robert Johnson Could Get Highway Named In His Honor

cmglisa — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:00:59 +0000

The Mississippi House has voted to name part of Interstate 55 for blues great Robert Johnson, whose most famous song is about a crossroads. House Bill 166 would designate a 13-mile stretch in Copiah County as the Robert L. Johnson Memorial Highway. Johnson was born in the county in 1911.

Legend says Johnson gained extraordinary guitar skills by selling his soul to the devil at a crossroads. Some versions name that corner as U.S. highways 49 and 61 in the Mississippi Delta, some 200 miles north of Copiah County.

Music From New Generation Award Winner Patrick Droney

cmglisa — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:13:14 +0000

Patrick Droney, who won the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation's New Generation Award in 2006, has a new single! Check out "Heartbreaker" in the video below, along with a recent live performance at The Bitter End. You can find more information at PatrickDroneyMusic.com.

The New Generation Competition & Award is an annual competition to help discover and encourage young blues artists.

Matthew Davidson Wins Robert Johnson New Generation Award

cmglisa — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:14:31 +0000

Teen guitarist and vocalist Matthew Davidson, of Shreveport, has won the 2011 Robert Johnson New Generation Award. Davidson, 13, said it is an honor to be chosen for the award. About 25 young musicians were considered.

"It's an award given out annually to guitarists 12 to 18 years old that helps young kids like myself keep interested in the blues and respect the blues," Davidson said. "Robert Johnson is one of the greatest blues players. He kind of started it all and paved the way for so many."

Stars To Honor Robert Johnson’s 100th Birthday At The Apollo Theater

cmglisa — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:14:16 +0000

The legacy of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson will get the all-star treatment when The Roots, Shemekia Copeland, Bettye Lavette, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo,’ Sam Moore and Todd Rundgren gather in NYC in 2012.

Co-produced by Steve Berkowitz, Michael Dorf, Joe Morton and Patricia Watt and taking place March 6 at New York City’s famed Apollo Theater, net proceeds will go to funding the construction of the Blues Hall Of Fame in Memphis. Expect more artists to be announced in the weeks to come.

In Memory Of Hubert Sumlin, Dead At Age 80

cmglisa — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:10:50 +0000

When Howlin' Wolf romped through "Wang Dang Doodle" or thundered in "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy," the snarling guitar that accompanied him belonged to one of the greatest bluesmen to pick up the instrument: Hubert Sumlin.