New Photo of Robert Johnson - Authentic

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Tone, May 20, 2020.

  1. Tone

    Tone Senior Member Thread Starter

  2. Roosevelt Sykes

    Roosevelt Sykes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis
  3. Roosevelt Sykes

    Roosevelt Sykes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis
    Missed your thread by a minute or so
     
    longdist01 likes this.
  4. The Ole' Rocker

    The Ole' Rocker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Wow. He looks more human now. Before he seemed like a ‘trademark’ or some sort of a character from a very distant historical era, but in this portrait, he seems like an average humble guy who loves his guitar and making music.
     
  5. MRamble

    MRamble Forum Resident

    Unbelievable.

    It's a striking image just for the stark contrast to the other iconic image. It only adds to his complicated legend.

    And who woulda thunk we would've gotten a new image of Robert after all this time?
     
  6. Tone

    Tone Senior Member Thread Starter

    Yes, it's a great photo of him.
     
  7. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    That's a beauty of a photo. It looks like it could be a record sleeve. It's not far off Dylan's first album.
     
  8. signothetimes53

    signothetimes53 Senior Member

    I posted a thread about this about a minute after Tone...I'll delete it in favor of consolidation here.

    I wrote:

    There have been several highly dubious so-called "3rd photos" of Robert Johnson publicized in the last decade, but now the real thing has surfaced, as the cover of a brand new book written by his now 94-year old stepsister, who knew RJ when she was a child.

    This is the real deal. Annye C. Anderson was a friend of Muddy Waters in the 1970s, and showed him the picture and other RJ memorabilia in documented meetings 40+ years ago. She is NOT part of the formal Robert Johnson Estate, having lost a legal claim to the Estate years ago. But the provenance of who she is, what she knows and tells, and what she has for documentation is substantive enough that blues researchers like Elijah Wald, Preston Lauterbach and John Tefteller are convinced this is genuine.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2020
  9. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    Such a nice photo.
     
  10. Fullbug

    Fullbug Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Absolutely incredible.
     
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  11. The Gomper

    The Gomper By Your Side?

    Location:
    Missouri
    This is a photo of young Robert with his 1983 Frankenstrat :

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Timmy84

    Timmy84 Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Now that is one amazing find. :)
     
  13. Avenging Robot

    Avenging Robot Senior Member

    Glad to see that there are still treasures like this one out there to be found. Amazing.
     
    agundy, tug_of_war, supermd and 2 others like this.
  14. willwin

    willwin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    A ladies man for sure
     
  15. hominy

    hominy Digital Drifter

    Location:
    Seattle-ish
    I love to see history being reclaimed! Imagine how many unidentified photos of famous people are floating out there among all the discarded photos at antique shops.
     
  16. Dark Horse 77

    Dark Horse 77 A Parliafunkadelicment Thang

    I'll get the book just to have that new picture!
     
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  17. signothetimes53

    signothetimes53 Senior Member

    Just to be clear: while this photo is newly-released to the public, it was seen by a few people decades ago, including no less than Muddy Waters himself, when he met with Annye C. Anderson (Johnson's stepsister) back in the 1970s. It is NOT "newly-discovered".

    The meetings with Muddy are documented by other eyewitness accounts. She owned the photo and other RJ memorabilia that she showed to Muddy, and as the Vanity Fair excerpt points out, she was with RJ when he had the famous dime-store photos taken...of which this latest photo is one from that series.
     
  18. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    WOW!
     
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  19. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    That photo looks familiar .....
     
  20. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    WOWIE!!
     
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  21. Goddam!
     
  22. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Saw his docu on Netflix. It was interesting.

    Devil at the Crossroads
     
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  23. Wildest cat from montana

    Wildest cat from montana Humble Reader

    Location:
    ontario canada
    Incredible.
    As the short article states this was possibly taken at the same time as that somewhat eerie picture of him with the cigarette in his mouth. That 's my favourite of him. An amazing ' self portrait ' as it were.
    I'm sure many have seen that short clip which was bandied about as being of Robert Johnson. It's not though. That guy isn't this guy in this picture or the dandy playing his guitar or the don't -f*** -with-me guy with that cigarette and those dead eyes.
    As for this 'new' photo , Johnson sure looks happy for a guy who's met the devil at the crossroads and is no longer owner of his own soul.
     
  24. Fender Relic

    Fender Relic Forum Resident

    Location:
    PennsylBama
    In the ciggie pic he's got a 14 fret Gibson with capo 2. Looks like same in the new pic but are they really? The ciggie pic looks like a dark or black finish and the new one is lighter but it could just be washed out from glare or flash. In the hat pic he's got an early L style Gibson 12 fret. Just sayin'...for the gear heads.:)

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2020
  25. Wildest cat from montana

    Wildest cat from montana Humble Reader

    Location:
    ontario canada
    I think I know the one you mean. Some animation in it ?
    It was ok.
    I'd love to see a real nitty -gritty movie about his life. But , please , not some reimagination of facts but the true story without enhancement. No filter. No chaser.
     

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