The life of blues legend Robert Johnson becomes the centerpiece for this innovative look at what many consider to be America's deepest and most influential music genre. Pivotal are the questions surrounding why Johnson was ignored by the core black audience of his time yet now celebrated as the greatest figure in blues history. Trying to separate myth from reality, biographer Elijah Wald studies the blues from the inside -- not only examining recordings but also the recollections of the musicians themselves, the African-American press, as well as examining original research. What emerges is a new appreciation for the blues and the movement of its artists from the shadows of the 1930s Mississippi Delta to the mainstream venues frequented by today's loyal blues fans.
- ISBN10 0060524278
- ISBN13 9780060524272
- Publish Date 1 January 2005 (first published 6 January 2004)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Amistad Press
- Edition Amistad Pbk ed.
- Format Paperback
- Pages 368
- Language English