MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2011 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Simmons, Butler (36th), Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Jones, Butler (38th), Chassaniol, Dearing, Fillingane, Frazier, Horhn, Watson
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ACKNOWLEDGING AND DESIGNATING THE YEAR 2011 AS THE "100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF LEGENDARY BLUESMAN ROBERT JOHNSON".
WHEREAS, legendary Blues Guitarist Robert Johnson was born May 8, 1911, in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, and died on August 16, 1938, at the age of 27 under mysterious circumstances; and
WHEREAS, Robert Johnson was an influential Mississippi Blues singer and songwriter who supposedly sold his soul to Satan "at the crossroads" in exchange for his remarkable talent on the guitar. Born and raised in Mississippi, he started playing blues guitar in the late 1920s. His wife and child died in childbirth around 1930 and he is said to have devoted himself to the guitar. Part of the "crossroads" story stems from a report that he dropped out of sight for a while in the early 1930s and returned a much-improved guitarist. In 1936-1937 he recorded at least 29 songs in Texas (San Antonio and Dallas), then returned to Mississippi to play and sing in clubs; and
WHEREAS, the Blues at the Crossroads Concert Series in 2011 picks up the thread of Johnson's legacy in Mississippi, at the junction of US Highways 61 and 49 the very crossroads where, as legend has it, Robert Johnson's burning desire pushed him to make his deal with the devil giving up his soul to write the best blues the world ever heard. As one of the most famous Delta Blues Musicians, Johnson has influenced a broad range of musicians for generations with his songs, vocal phrasing and guitar style, in particular his landmark recordings from 1936-1937, that display a remarkable combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent; and
WHEREAS, Eric Clapton has called Johnson "the most important blues singer that ever lived" and described Johnson's emotive vocal delivery as "the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice." His songs have been covered by several rock stars, including Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones. His songs include "Crossroad Blues," "Me and the Devil Blues," "Love in Vain" and "Terraplane Blues"; and
WHEREAS, Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an "Early Influence" in its first induction ceremony in 1986; and
WHEREAS, this important musical anniversary is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present Mississippi's cultural background and Blues music to fans of the Blues, and the Robert Johnson Centennial Concerts have a direct connection to the legend through authentic Blues performers and family members of Robert Johnson; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize this important event in Mississippi's musical history:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby acknowledge and designate 2011 as the "100th Anniversary of the Birth of Legendary Bluesman Robert Johnson" and invite fans of the Blues around the world to travel to Mississippi to experience the Blues where it originated.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be forwarded to the Division of Tourism and the Mississippi Arts Commission for distribution and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.