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.
Winner of The Penderyn Music Book Prize 2020.
Up Jumped the Devil : The Real Life of Robert Johnson - Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow
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- Availability:In Stock
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£17.99