Great new picture of young Robert. Exclusive First Look at New Photograph of Blues Legend Robert Johnson
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.