texas blues | Dirty Bourbon River Show

a.k.a. Oak Cliff T-Bone

T-Bone walker is the reason the Blues is what it is today. Legend has it he was the first ever blues performer to use an electric guitar. He roamed the streets of dallas at age 15 opening for national acts and String bands. By the time he was in his twenties he was in Los Angeles headlinging on Central Avenue.

I know you’ve heard this one

Inspiring a generation of Bluesmen

Walker was the childhood hero of many many musicians. B.B. King bought his first electric after he heard “Stormy Monday”, and where do you think Jimi Hendrix learned to play with his teeth? Chuck Berry always listed T-Bone and bandleader Louis Jordan as his first influences.

Albert Collins and Jimmy Vaughn (Stevie’s older brother) talk about T-Bone’s effect on the Texas Blues

– Big Charlie

Blind Willie Johnson

202478 — Click on Willie to read more about him

The Blues has taken on many forms throughout history, in the case of young Willie Johnson the blues came through the word of the good Lord. From age four Willie told his family he would be a preacher. Johnson and his dad built a guitar out of a cigar box and Willie learned how to play using a pocket knife as a slide.

Blind Willie Johnson played and sang his unique versions of favorite hymns and spirituals for the remainder of his life. Until his death in 1945, Willie traveled the south from street corner to backyard spreading his Gospel.

Willie frequented New Orleans, playing and preaching on the corners of the French Quarter. legend has it he was arrested once for “starting a riot” outside the courthouse with a powerful rendition of the song ‘If i Had My Way I’d Tear This Building Down’.

If you’ve already heard of Blind Willie Johnson, that’s probably due to the fact that two of the greatest recording artists of all time covered a song first recorded by Willie. Dylan and Led Zeppelin both recorded powerful versions of the the song ‘In My Time of Dying’ which is a slightly altered version of Blind Willie’s ‘Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed‘

Check it out: Zeppelin and Dylan’s version below

– Big Charlie

If you think you know some blues I ough’ta know E-mail me at BigCharlieSkinner@Gmail.Com

Tag: texas blues

0 Blues you ough’ta know with Big Charlie: T-Bone Walker