In a message dated 1/3/2006 2:00:52 A.M. Central Standard Time, Tybil writes:

Twy...the bitch or de debil?   Robert who died in 38 from being poisoned by a jealous husband is buried not too far from here.

Robert according to Sun House was a poor farm hand who couldn't play a lick "and sounded awful in the early 1930's .

The black blues musicians like Charlie Patton and Howling Wolf  were itinerate and followed the cotton and timber  crop from new Orleans to Memphis playing in mostly segregated venues like the jukes or entertainment  houses of ill repute.

Clarksdale was the center of such activity ; and Saturday everyone came to town ,black or white to spend their money   Robert worked part time or was associated with the Stoval Plantation , He had just lost his wife and baby in Child birth and was despondent he disappeared and was not see for a long time

One day  he showed up again and he was playing (again son house ) "Man he was playing these impossible licks on the guitar nobody ever thought possible ."Where did you learn that? was the oft asked question

Robert answered the question with the story then song how he met "de Debil" at the Crossroads" and traded his soul for his expertise in guitar .

In depression era 1930's there was only one cross roads where you could say "cross roads " and everyone knew where you meant . The trains met here as well ;route 49 takes you out of the Delta and on  to Chicago, route  61 takes you West to eventually  California and East to New York , two necessary destinations for impoverished blacks migrating for better life .

The Delta at night is spooky ; a black void of interstellar space where it is impossible to see where sky meets ground . Paleo Indians of the Woodland Culture revered spirits who walked the earth there often masquerading as humans. Blacks too were very sensitive to the spirit world and Sunday morning church was full of sinners white and black who according to their own testimony "De debil made em do it "  Robert Johnson had a willing audience and we are all the better for it Py

 

Want to visit ?  goggle Shack up inn on the Hobson plantation and come at festival time go on Cat head to see who is playing when .

Clarksdale despite its shabby exterior is gaining in notoriety like the Eat village of years ago many pioneers who are blues fans are moving there