Blind Willie Johnson ~Motherless Children Have A Hard Time~

Blind Willie Johnson was born in 1897 near Brenham, Texas (before the discovery of his death certificate, Temple, Texas had been suggested as his birthplace). When he was five, he told his father he wanted to be a preacher, and then made himself a cigar box guitar. His mother died when he was young and his father remarried soon after her death.[1]

It is thought that Johnson was married twice, first to a woman with the same first name, Willie B Harris, and later to a young singer named Angeline, who was the sister of blues guitarist L.C. Robinson. No marriage certificates have yet been discovered. As Angeline Johnson often sang and performed with him, the first person to attempt to research his biography, Samuel Charters, made the mistake of assuming it was Angeline who had sung on several of Johnson's records. However, later research showed that it was Johnson's first wife.
Johnson was not born blind, and, although it is not known how he lost his sight, Angeline Johnson provided this account to Samuel Charters: She said when Willie was seven his father beat his stepmother after catching her going out with another man. The stepmother then picked up a handful of lye and threw it, not at Willie's father, but into the face of young Willie.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Blind
• Willie
• Johnson
• blues
• religious

[JosephMalicke]

Can you imagine how astonished Blind Willie Johnson would be to learn that 50+ years after his death, tens of thousands of people, all over the world, were streaming his music through YouTube. In the 30s, he would play in ragged clothing, in the streets and stations, for anybody who would listen. Now his music is immortal, helping endless generations of folks dealing with life's sorrow.

[BordiniBlues85]

thar boy on the sofa at 1:23 make me laugh.. :-)

[MoeDonuts]

man what a voice... and that guitar...

the man would be a millionaire if he were alive today...

[mouldybear]

Classic song with his god voice as used by shamen in other parts of the world . See old called "Burundi" on Ocora to hear brilliant example.

[ashlimaribcu]

@JosephMalicke so true :-) i wish i could see him today.

[gronkifronk]

He is so famous, his song actually made it to outer space!

[tyreesemj1]

if u can't feel this...

[fraterlucifer888]

two words,HELL YEAH

[taurtue]

Pure raw energy, feeling and music

[siroatmeal]

@JosephMalicke really awesome comment man : )

[tony1234872]

I honestly like this song, simply because my mother died 11 years ago when I was 3 and a half, I honestly wish to play it during school assembly for a tribute to my head of year's sake, she lost her mother when she was 11, and was brought up by her dead. Thank's blind willie Johnson, beautiful voice, strong and outthrown.

[666UFO666]

Awesome....