[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-28-02 AT 08:30 PM (CST)]
lets go back a bit...Poor Bob ..Muddy..in the the same
state..same time frame...Muddy ran a Juke joint...never
booked Poor Bob...hmmm this
boy must have a Hollywood agent to pass this sort of stuff
off.
I'm not exactly sure what year Muddy started operating his juke, at least without going to the scores of books here in the shelves, but it wasn't as easy as Muddy calling Poor Bob on the phone and asking him to slip a date in to play in or around Clarksdale. Your doubts about Muddy's statements have absolutely no documentation to back them up. Some issues you did bring up; 2nd rate copyist, slimy bastard, and one who dismissed his influences, have easily been answered with correct documentation.
Are you really going to keep going with this...Poor Bob the
mega Delta Star ..( by Muddy's admission )who was a protegy
of Papa Charley and Son House ..and Muddy didn't see
him...AND then Muddy came up with some crap about maybe
seeing Poor Bob from a distance...Man that burns me beyond
belief...three cock crows before dawn...!
The only reason I keep going with this, as do you, is because you were the first one to post that Muddy dismissed his influences (see above where you said "by Muddy's admission"). It's been proven that he recognized his influences and rightly credited them with being the inspiration for his music. I'll go back to Gordon's new book and a quote from Muddy to clarify the point...
"I first heard him when he came out with 'Terraplane,' and I believe 'Walkin Blues' was on the other side. I always followed his records right down the line."
And Muddy refused to join the circle who claimed to have been running partners with Poor Bob. He might have wondered if it was Johnson he'd seen in Friar's Point, but remember he was questioned about this years after the fact. When shown a picture of RJ, Muddy stated that he believed that it actually was Johnson he saw. That seems to be the basis for you saying Muddy "came up with some crap about maybe seeing Poor Bob from a distance." I'd hasten to ask, if someone questioned you about a schoolmate, one you didn't know personally, and asked if you ever saw him, what your response would be. Granted, that particular person wasn't an icon or mega-star, but at the time, Robert Johnson wasn't either. He was what most of the Delta blues players were, primarily a regional artist. It wasn't until researchers began seeing the influence of Johnson on scores of other artists, that he became a legend or mega-star. Pretty much the same with Muddy. His direct influence on countless players can't be simply dismissed because you have some personal dislike. Let's see, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, a music magazine, a classic Bob Dylan song, and how many other people or things can we come up with that Muddy influenced?
Do you know ..thinking about it as I write I think Muddy
booked Poor Bob solid in his joint ..pulled his riffs and
then took advantage of Poor Bob's death and the lack of
information.
This malarky doesn't even deserve comment, so I'll close. But I do find it interesting that when asked who else deserves the title of "King of Chicago Blues" more than Muddy, you have no comment... nor on why Johnny Winter actually sought Muddy out... nor do you offer any sort of explanation on how you later called him a "required American icon." As to my recollection, an icon is a likeness or image of something holy...
Blueswriter