Students Of Success

Brent L. Damkier, (pronounced Dam-key-r) handsome lyric tenor at
the Regensburg Opera, is best known for his recent roles as
Prince Tamino in The Magic Flute and Prince Ramiro in
Cinderella.

Eine Nacht in Venedig, (A Night in Venice) by Strauss premiered
on October 23, 2004. Damkier plays the roll of Pappacoda, a
Spaghetti cook. It is a tremendous comic roll and Damkier
usually receives the most applause even through it is a smaller
singing role. This is the remaining performance. Just 75 miles
(120 kilometers) out of Munich is the historic German town of
Regensburg. Just off the Danube River, nestled in the heart of a
charming old town square is an intimate 380 year-old opera house
seating 524 dedicated patrons and international guests; it is
home to the leading tenor.

Damkier, who has performed throughout Europe, thrills audiences,
with his sweet interpretation and punctuated tenor dexterity.
>From character parts, to the male ingénue, to the leading man,
Damkier is bridging his operating roots to a U.S. tour in 2006
which will cross-over to a cabaret format broadening his
audience and fan club. One of the recital performances in early
2006 will be recorded and distributed for wide release.

The youthful face looks to be fresh out of high school having
originally hailed from Northern California, yet is the face,
voice, and actor of a well-trained virtuoso in his thirties. Six
years ago without any training in German, the nearly six-foot
tall, handsome, golden-eyed, fair-skinned performer headed for
Germany to hone his craft on the stages of several smaller opera
companies. According to producer and promoter TR Cutler, Damkier
will make his recital debut in South Florida.

Visit Brent L. Damkier at www.brentdamkier.com or email e-mail
e-mail protected from spam bots.

# # #

Billiards is an old and much loved game, particularly in the
United States and the United Kingdom. This is a game that people
of all ages play; even the younger kids can play now on special
child-size tables that are widely available. It is also a game
that, although once more popular with men, is now keenly played
by both sexes. You can play pool in all sorts of environments,
from restaurants and bars to halls and homes. It is also a game
that can be as relaxing or competitive as you want to make it.
Some people like to enjoy a friendly game over a drink after
work, others like to unwind with a few games on their home pool
table, and some like to join leagues and clubs and play to win.

1. Understand billiards in general

Whether you are young or old, male or female, a relaxed player
or a competitive player, the chances are you want to play as
well as you can. Being able to play well is all part of the fun
of playing billiards, so it is important to learn the rules and
strategies of the games you are interested in, and then try and
improve your game on a continual basis. Improving your billiards
game is particularly important if you want to play
competitively; however, it is also important even if you enjoy
friendly games - after all, it’s not much of a challenge if you
can’t put up much of a fight against your opponent…plus,
practicing the game is far too much fun to miss out on.

2. Practice the game

This is one of the key aspects of improving your billiards game
- the importance of practice can’t be stressed enough, and many
pros will tell you that getting in practice is the singularly
most important part of becoming adept at billiards. Some people
practice for hours each day - which, of course, is not practical
for everyone. However, getting in some regular practice at your
local pool hall, bar, or even in the home, can be a big help.

Having easy access is the best way to enjoy practicing this
game. If you have to go to the pool hall or bar, you don’t
always have the energy and motivation, particularly if you have
been at work all day. This could mean losing out on a lot of
valuable practice. However, setting up your own billiards table
at home means that you can practice at any time in the comfort
of your own home. Setting up a pool table/billiards room is
relatively simple and very affordable these days, and once you
have your room set up you won’t have to pay for games at the
bars, halls or clubs - and you can enjoy a fantastic area in
which to entertain, relax - and, of course, practice.

3. Don’t forget the cue

Your cue is a pivotal part of your billiards game - after all,
you won’t get far without it! You should ensure that you buy a
cue that is of good quality. However, strange as it might sound,
you also need to find a cue that you can relate to. Remember
when Harry Potter went to get his first wand in The
Philosopher’s Stone, and he just knew when he had the right
wand? Well, this is the sort of feeling your should aim for when
you buy your pool cue. Hold the cue, get a feel for it, and make
sure that you are comfortable with every aspect of the cue. Many
professionals state that using the same cue for every practice
and real game is a big part of their success, and if you are
going to be playing with the same cue you have to make sure that
it is one you are perfectly happy with.

4. Join a league or club

You could find that joining a pool league or billiards club or
team can help to improve your game. This is not only because you
will be able to get in some regular practice, but also because
you will have a network of support. You can pick up tips and
advice from other members of your team or club, and these can
really help you to improve your game. Plus taking part in
friendly competitions can help to give you that competitive
streak, which in itself can help you to develop and improve your
game through pure motivation.

5. Start simple

If you are something of a novice at pool then the trick of
improving your game is to start simple and work your way up.
There is no point trying to jump straight in to the most complex
games. A game like 8 ball or better still 9 ball can help you to
practice shooting and can help to condition your body in order
to improve your game. Positioning and action is everything when
playing billiards, and these simple, basic games will help you
to improve both through practice.

6. Observe, observe, observe

We all need a mentor if we want to do something really well, and
billiards is no exception to this rule. You can pick up some
really useful tips simply by watching the pros and the very
experienced. Whether it’s the latest world champion playing on
television or whether it’s your best mate who’s known as a real
whiz with the cue, you should pay careful attention when the
experts are in play. Try and study their positioning, their
actions, trick shots, and the way they play.

7. Use training balls

You can now get billiards training balls, and these can prove
invaluable to someone just learning how to play or wishing to
improve their game. These balls have a clear target to aim for,
so when you are trying to pot the ball you will know exactly
where to aim. Using these training balls can help to condition
your mind when you are playing, and pretty soon you will be able
to hit the mark without the specially marked balls, and you can
enjoy potting your object ball every time.

8. Use online tools

There are plenty of online tools available to help you improve
your billiards game, such as virtual pool. Although these games
can’t help with the improvement of your physical stroke, they
can give you a good idea of game rules and strategies, which are
things that you must familiarise yourself with in order to start
improving your game - if you don’t know how to play properly you
can’t learn how to play better.

9. General tips

As well as the above quite specific tips on improving your pool
game, there are also some general tips that you should bear in
mind when you are actually in the process of playing or
practicing billiards. Hopefully, these tips will help you to
develop and improve your game so that you can play to the best
of your ability. These general tips include:

• Cue Shot: Make sure that your stroke is smooth and consistent.
You should place your other hand on the table, making it as
stable as you can, and then allow the cue to slide through this
hand as smoothly as possible - it is a good idea simply to
practice the stroke before you start worrying about practicing
with the billiards balls. • Keep the cue ball in sight: When you
are aiming, you should be looking at the cue ball and not the
object ball. Aim to strike it just below the centre, and stay
focussed on the cue ball as you shoot. • Arm positioning: When
you are playing, you should keep the arm you are shooting with
close to your body, and your elbow should be bent at a
ninety-degree angle. Let your shoulder do the work as you shoot
- this is where the action and movement should stem from. Do not
be tempted to use excessive force, as this will simply spoil
your shot - simply keep it smooth and controlled.

10. Enjoy it!

One thing to keep in mind when trying to improve your pool game
is - it is a game! Don’t let yourself get stressed or
frustrated; simply enjoy it and enjoy practicing it. Billiards
is a great way to relax and unwind, and shouldn’t be something
that you get stressed about. As with many things in life,
practice makes perfect. You won’t become a billiard pro
overnight - it can take a while to become adept at the control,
concentration, and movement required to shoot pool successfully.
But you can have great fun whilst you are getting there.

Video Poker is a game of skill - and using the simple combination of playing strategy and mathematical know-how, can be beat. Take note of the “pay schedule” shown on the front of each
machine, and look particularly at the most important information - how much the machine
will pay out for a Full-House versus a Flush.

An advanced video poker player will also realise that a “Jacks-or-Better” machine - classed as a 9/6 machine for paying out 9 coins : 1 for every Full House and 6 : 1 for every Flush, can be beaten using perfect Basic Video Poker Strategy.

Another machine offering the advanced video poker player an edge is the 10/6 Deuces Wild machine. These odds have been proven as
a result of computer modelling. For the other machines - even if a player plays the Perfect Video Poker Strategy game, he will still not win, though will have fun playing!

There are set rules defining Basic Video Poker Srategy whether playing online or in a casino - much like the Basic Strategy for Blackjack, 

Jacks-or-Better Video Poker Strategy

• In any hand holding a Jack, unless the hand is already a winner! - 4 to an open-ended Straight,
  4 to a Flush or 3 to a Straight
  Flush or Royal Flush - reject all cards only keeping the Jack
• In any hand holding only 1 card Jack or above, keep the single high card
  and reject all other cards and redraw.
• In any hand holding 1 pair lower than Jacks, keep the pair and reject all
  other cards - unless the hand is 4 to a Straight or 4 to a Flush
• In any hand holding a 2-pair, keep both pair and reject the odd-card.
• In any hand holding 3-of-a-kind keep the 3-of-a-kind and reject the other
  2 cards.
• In any hand holding 4 to a Straight, keep all 4 Straight cards and re-draw -
  unless the Straight draw is NOT open-ended and the hand is holding a
  Jack)
• In any hand holding 4 to a Flush, keep the 4 Flush - unless the hand holds 3 to the Royal in which case you would draw to the Royal
  Flush
• In any hand holding 4-of-a-kind, hold everything since a 1-card
  draw will not improve the cards.
• In any hand holding 3 to a Royal Flush, reject everything else and
  go for the Royal - unless the hand is already a Straight Flush!

Practice these strategies whist playing - perhaps even print this page out to
refer to the Basic Video Poker strategies until they become 2nd nature. Go on…get the skill and hit those machine!

About the Author

You can read Ryan’s general musings about online gambling at http://www.online-gambling-insider.com

Pedro Almoldovar was born in 1949 in Calzada de Calatrava in the
Castilla la Mancha region of central Spain. Since his film
making debut in the eighties he’s written, directed and acted in
more than thirty films and can easily lay claim to the title of
Spain’s greatest living film director.

Famed for his use of melodrama and his labyrinthine plots, his
films have never shied away from serious subject matter -
homosexuality, transvestitism and death (particularly death by
AIDS) have all popped up as themes throughout his work.
Almodovar also likes to use marginalised, socially ostracised
characters and groups in his films. It is this hunger for the
unconventional that has made people take note of his work. In
many respects his films were a response to the decades of
oppression under the dictatorship of Franco and Almodovar was at
the forefront of an artistic movement that was free to express
itself for the first time since the Civil War.

In 2004 the controversial director launched his most recent film
at the Cannes film festival. “Bad Education” drew on the
directors own experiences at a catholic school during the
sixties. The film confronts the sexual abuse of the boys by the
teachers and also the homoerotic love of two young students. The
film was met with universal acclaim and cemented Almodovar’s
position at the forefront of world cinema.

The films success followed on the back of the acclaim of his two
previous directorial efforts. “All About My Mother” was released
in 1999 to high praise from critics and cinema goers alike; it
was a candid story that showed a softer more mature side to
Almodovar’s direction and continued his use of women and the
idea of sisterhood that is prevalent in many of his works.
Almodovar later dedicated the film to “all mothers and any
actress who’s ever played a mother” and the Spaniard picked up
numerous awards at home and abroad including his first Oscar for
“Best overseas film”. In 2002 Almodovar released “Talk to Her”
to similar rave reviews and critical acclaim and the film earned
him his second Oscar for “Best screenplay”.

Before this golden period in Almodovar’s career, many thought
that his talents had lost their direction. His films of the late
80’s and 90’s had come in for some fairly heavy criticism and
had been the cause of some fairly fierce debate in cinematic
circles. “Tie me up, Tie me Down”, “High Heels” and “Kiki”. Some
were lambasted for their supposed misogynistic undertones
including a shocking rape scene from “Kiki”. “Tie me up, Tie me
down” also came in for some heavy criticism from women’s groups
for it’s portrayal of a women who falls in love with her
kidnapper.

Almodovar also famously gave a first acting role to Antonio
Banderas in his 1987 film “Law of Desire”. Banderas also took on
the lead role in the aforementioned “Tie me Up, Tie me down”.
Banderas later moved to Hollywood where he achieved great fame
as his career blossomed.

Amoldovar is currently shooting his latest offering due for
release in 2006; it’s entitled “Volver” (”Filming” in English)
and will star Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz, one of Spain’s
most successful daughters. At the moment it seems as if the
Spaniard can do no wrong and he’s acclaimed as one of the best
film makers in the world today having produced many films that
are already viewed as cinematic classics. At age 55, it’s clear
that the man has still got a lot to offer and we could still be
watching his creations for many years to come.

Brand-new artist promotion service “Artist’s explosion in Japan”
by fishthemusic.com (Bigfish Network Inc.)

What fishthemusic.com does;

1. We play your song on our web-radio “music-islands.com.”
http://www.music-islands.com/

Now web-radio “music-islands.com” has approx.3,000 unique users
a month, and more than 300 visitors a day, with over 50,000
pageviews (Oct. 2005). It’s increasing day by day.

To play your music on our web-radio, is to easily recognize your
music to Japanese music fans.

2. Set your own page up in Japanese, at our “music-islands.com”
blog, that includes your basic info (Genres, location etc.),
plus your self-description (your catch-copy or/and strong
points) on it, It also includes one mp3 sound file. So it is
submitted into Japanese podcast portal websites. Our blog sends
ping to Japanese several other portal blog sites at every update.

Of course, we link back to “your original website”, “your
myspace URL”, “your Apple iTunes Music Store page” and “where to
buy CD”. It means, our visitors are able to easily jump into
your music, whenever they love you!!

3. If you give us an additional approve for Pod-safe usage, we
provide your song to other Japanese Podcasters and let your
music make more exposure in Japan,..

We also put your song at 2 other Japanese social networking
services (SNS).

One is “recommuni.jp” … music SNS, it has 10,000 members.
(Oct. 2005) We post your mp3 sound file for free download to
Japanese music fans there. It’s on for a month. It’s one of the
most effective cyber promotions in Japan.
http://www.recommuni.jp/

The other is “jammy.jp”. This is also new music SNS that
launches on January 2006 and is expected to have 20,000 members
until April 2006. We also set up the web-radio station on it and
play your song.

“jammy.jp” is managed by Japanese famous music publishing
company “Hipland Music Corporation”. It will invite many
Japanese music business people; labels, promoters,
producers…etc. So those who have be interested in your music,
can easily visit your website and contact you directly.
http://www.jammy.jp/

And more,

In 2006, we are going to invite 1 artist, at least, to Japan,
and set up a few stages for show case gigs, somewhere in popular
nightclubs in Tokyo or so. It will be our first experience and
really challenging for us, though,,, Details are not fixed now.
We may have a contest at our website for it, anyway……

What you do for it;

Give us a non-exclusive license for everything we have described
above. Email me your Basic information, and one mp3 file
(128-192k) with our application form below. We don’t need CD
anymore.

Pay Set-up fee through our secure online form. 3,000 Japanese
Yen will be charged (about $28.00 US dollars) for setting your
song in our online radio, and 2 other music SNS that we describe
above.

As soon as everything has prepared, we will set up your page and
play your song,2 other SNS community websites as well. We’ll be
glad to promote you and hope our promotion actually works well
for you here in Japan. ARIGATO.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, and others like them, are
what I like to consider true horror movies, or even terror
movies. They have the ability to really put a fear into someone.
At least they’re the type that puts a fear into me. Friday the
13th, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, these movies are of
the fantastic, not what is real; therefore they have little
scare power. They may be able to get you to jump, if my wife
sneaks up on me she’ll be able to momentarily frighten me, but
she’s not scary. Quick thrills, or quick scares are not horror
movies to be. Horror is beyond such simple tricks, to truly be
horrified you have to care, and who cares about a bunch of pot
smoking punks taking a summer off to have sex when they should
be working to pay for school!

You may be thinking to yourself how the Texas Chainsaw movies
are any different. They’re not real either, and you’re right
they aren’t technically real. But what they represent is an
actual part of society. Tobe Hooper, the creator of the Texas
Chainsaw, based the main horror figure on a real life person. Ed
Gains. Now Hooper was young when he first learned of Gains and
the image of him became distorted, Hooper based Leatherface (the
manic who wears womens faces and skins) on what he picture Gains
to be like. Now of course Gains looked normal, but he was very
similar to Leatherface. Gains would rob graves for body parts to
make almost anything, furniture, soup bowls, whatever he wanted.
He also did some other things that are much worse but I won’t
delve into too much detail on those. These people actually do
exist. Murders who haven’t been caught, mass murders that
haven’t been caught.

Sure the original Friday the 13th was based on a concept that
might be true, child drowns, mother seeks revenge, sure it’s
possible. But what about the next 10 movies? The characters in
these movies are indestructible, or so it seems, by the end they
have some kind of plan that will usually work. In the Texas
Chainsaw movies however, most don’t even get a chance to fight,
the family knows they are regular people who can be damaged just
like anyone else. It is realistic.

Fear to me only exists if I think it is possible that what I’m
afraid of might exist. I don’t think it’s possible that a psycho
family in Texas will kill me, but maybe there’s a psycho family
right next door to me, or down the street, or in the next place
I intend to visit. These are practical fears in my mind. Of
course I’m not as worried of being murdered as I am of getting
into a car accident or something much more probable, but when
I’m watching the movie I let myself be drawn into the fear,
that’s the fun. Movies that don’t even stand a chance of being
even remotely true just don’t do it for me. The Ring for
example, yes some good effects but when I got home that night I
wasn’t bothered by the TV. However I watched the Blair Witch
Project at a cottage and the forest was suddenly frightening,
not because I thought a witch might live in it, but because I
could easily get lost in it.

True terror, and maybe you don’t want to experience true terror,
but if you do, watch the Texas Chainsaw with an open mind, think
how you would handle yourself in that situation. The good thing
that comes from horror movies is that we get to experience an
emotion that we really don’t want to experience in real life. I
don’t want to be in a position that causes real fear, but I want
to get a rough idea of it, and true horror movies do just that.
They give you a taste of the real thing. There are two very good
reasons for wanting to feel what it’s like to be afraid, one, it
can be a huge rush adrenaline is the best drug, the movie is the
method, roller coasters accomplish the same feat. The second
reason is that you may have some insight into how you’ll react
in a real life situation. Obviously you’ll never really know
until you are in a bad situation and hopefully most of us won’t
even be in such a situation. If you even have a taste though,
you may know if you’re a fight or flight kind of person.

Understanding why your brain is reacting in any given way will
allow you to make rational decisions in irrational situations.
You may want to run but if you know why you want to run you may
be inclined to stay when staying it really the right thing to
do. This does not only apply to life or death situations it can
apply to almost anything. Have you ever felt bullied by a car
salesman? These are confident people you’re dealing with and if
you’re not as confident as they are, you should still be able to
walk out without being ripped off. So what am I saying? I guess
I’m saying if you want a deal on a car, go shopping after you
watch a good horror flick. Saw II is in the theatres as of the
writing of this article that would be a good example of what I
call a true horror movie. Go show that car dealer who’s boss,
just don’t bring your chainsaw.

Faliraki is the busiest and liveliest resort on the island with
2 and half miles of beach for you to play on. The centre of the
resort consists of noisy bars and clubs which was perfect for
the Scottish lads. Bar Street is the place to be right from the
early evening, with drink promotions and excellent DJ’s. Bar
Street is full from top to bottom with pubs, so if you get bored
with one just walk next door. Club Street is right next to Bar
Street and is the main place to be after the pubs close, with
the clubs going on until the early hours of the morning there’s
never an excuse to go to bed. During the day there is plenty to
do, from Sun Bathing to all the water sports down at the beach.

Drinks: As mentioned above most of the pubs in Ayia Napa are
located in Bar Street, so it’s nice and easy to get a drink.
Prices can vary depending on promotions but the average price of
a bottle of beer is 2-3 euros and Cocktails and Spirits at
around 4 euros, unless you get a fish bowl…..when you see them
you’ll understand.

Food: Faliraki has some of the best food the Scottish Lads have
had on holiday, with superb steaks and excellent choice. There
are plenty of restaurants through-out Faliraki and of course
theres a MacDonalds if you fancy a burger.

Temperatures: Avg temps: MAY 79 deg JUNE 85 deg JULY 89 deg AUG
91 deg SEPT 85 deg OCT 78 deg

To sum it all up: Fantastic, Hot and lots of drink. What more do
you want out of a holiday. Faliraki is a must for any lads or
girls holiday.

Hollywood Publicist Michael Conley Confirmed to Speak at Indie Music Week

Nashville, Tennessee - Indie Music Week has announced that Michael Conley, veteran entertainment publicist based in Hollywood, CA, will be participating as an Indie Music Week panelist. IMW, taking place in Nashville March 11-12, will feature three industry panels of Major and Independent A&R, promoters, label executives, producers, managers and lawyers, and will wrap up with a Music Industry Summit.

Michael Conley represents many well-known personalities such as Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skating Champion Tara Lipinski, Roland Kickinger (former Mister Austria and Mister Universe) who recently starred as Arnold Schwarzenegger in the A&E movie “See Arnold Run”, fitness model/actor Morten Kublick, Robert Amstler, and teen model Jason Maves (Versace, Polo, Abercrombie & Fitch). Conley also works with identical twin brothers/soap stars, Seth Hall (Passions) and Bruce Michael Hall (One Life to Live), and most recently Mageina Tovah (Spider-Man 2), Michael Welch (Joan of Arcadia), and two-time Super Bowl Champion Dwight Hicks of the San Francisco 49ers. Conley also has the immense distinction of having been one of the youngest writers for the late Bob Hope, penning some 960 minutes of sketch comedy for his television specials.

Other confirmed panelists include Sony Music/Nashville Star’s Tracy Gershon, Danny Kee of Warner Bros. Records, Amy Stevents of Vivaton Records, Lyric Street Records’ Kirk Boyer, Larry Shell of Broken Bow Records, Abby White of Performing Songwriter magazine, Mitch Gallagher of EQ Magazine, Bradley Collins of BMI, and the Nashville Association of Professional Recording Services (NAPRS). In addition to the industry panels, Indie Music Week will also feature two Artist Showcases to be held at Nashville’s famous Douglas Corner Café.

To attend Indie Music Week 2005, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org for registration information. The registration fee for Indie Music Week is $99, with 50% fee discounts for music industry students or artists that showcase. To be an Indie Music Week sponsor, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org or call 615-292-1337.

Gambling is considered a game of luck and chance. As the outcome is usually unsure, there are various myths that surround the world of gambling. However, as is mostly the case, these myths are nothing but superstitions that can be refuted by facts.

The premise that gambling involves luck is not concrete. Mathematical matrices and probabilities are tools that can be used to calculate one’s odds. In fact, the casino’s all operating on these strategies to be the winner in the long run. If the players had an advantage on the casino, the casino would suffer huge losses. Each casino has a pre established house percentage which determines how much advantage it enjoys over the player. These percentages are usually kept small, yet the casinos earn huge profits owing to the frequency of losses and the volume of players.

Blackjack, poker and slots are frequently surrounded by myths. Many creators claim that their betting systems are fool proof and ensure consistent winnings. This is all farce, especially knowing the mathematics of the casino and the concept of house advantage. No betting system can sustain for long periods, though it might get a few initial wins. Another talked about principle of winning is that of card counting in blackjack. Accurate card counting and placing all the cards requires pure genius. Even skilled players can take hours to place the cards. A faster method is to determine the odds of the game and then participate.

Slot myths can be quite entertaining. One of the popular myths is that the slots are monitored by the casino and it they who decide whether one would win or loose. In truth, there is no hidden camera or surveillance on the slot machines. The entire game is governed by computer programs and is quite independent of human interference.

Another myth is regarding the facilities provided by the casino to a winning gambler as compensation. It is believed that the casinos provide free rooms, meals and other amenities to the gambler who wins and that these gamblers are the best ones the casino has at that time. It is not the best gambler that the casino compensates every time.
Depending on the potential to pay, the casino compensates the gamblers. Free rooms and meals are provided to make the experience better even in case the gambler suffers huge loss. This helps in building good customer relations and customer loyalty, so that the gambler can be a good source of income in the future.

The tussle between religion and gambling is quite old. While some regard gambling as immoral, some think that gambling on festivals brings luck. A simple explanation can be the age of gambling. Gambling is perhaps as old as the concept of religion itself. Cards and dice games were popular recreational activities and were also used at times to predict the future. Thus gambling and religion can be intricately linked but do not oppose each other.

Myths might be based on true incidents. But with time, they get distorted or blown out of proportion, to sound completely baseless and irrational. Speculation also gives rise to myths. These rumors are an entertainment that come along with the game and should be taken with a pinch of salt.
About the Author

Mansi gupta writes about gambling myths. Learn more at http://www.gamblingmyths.com

Probably the most enigmatic Singer and Guitarist of the twentieth Century is now one of the most revered and respected of all Musicians who make up the Genre of the “Blues “. I speak of course about the wonderful Robert Leroy Johnson. Born in 1911 in Hazelhurst Mississippi, in a Deep South plantation, he, in his pitifully short life has become one of the founding Fathers of the Blues.

He recorded only 36 sides over a period of a couple of months between November 1936 and June 1937 in San Antonio Texas .These remarkable recordings still bring tears to the eyes of Blues aficionados the world over and shaped the face of the music of today.

The post-war Blues of Chicago owe a great debt to Robert Johnson and it is sad to think what might have been had he lived! In just a few short years he matured from a young black guitarist into a superstar of his day .The often repeated legend was perpetuated by his contemporaries that he sold his soul to the Devil in return for his amazing guitar techniques.

His story is one of hardship tinged with great success in his own locality of the Delta and women were said to be rendered helpless as he sang his compositions. His death at the hand of a jealous husband at the age of twenty seven robbed the world of one of Americas finest ever Musicians and Blues artists.

Years after his death in 1938, a photograph was unearthed, one of only two in existence. It shows not only his inimitable style of dress but quite remarkable slender fingers which helped him to achieve his unique mastery of the bottleneck guitar technique. He is pictured in a chalk–stripe suit which would have been somewhat overstated for a man in his position at that time .When I first saw that photograph the one thing above all else, that stood out were his beautiful long fingers that enveloped the guitar fingerboard and obviously caressed it as though it was a Woman helpless in his arms!

What about his subject matter… well nothing much has changed in the passing of time; the age old, painful process of unrequited love; of restless yearnings to move on down the line to pastures new; to unfaithful liaisons; and of course much sexual innuendo .

Robert Johnson’s skill as a poet of the time and place is absolutely unsurpassed in my estimation! For sure he borrowed words, phrases, and guitar licks from his peers, but moulded them into something quite unique that not only stands the test of time but has a relevance to today’s Rock music.

There cannot be any Blues Band on this Planet that has not been influenced by Johnson and his music and this is a testament to the greatness of the man! The list of recordings of Johnson’s songs by modern artists is endless and forms the backbone of the resurgence of the Blues in the early sixties in Britain and continues to this day! Most of the long lasting Bands of the R,n,B revolution of 62, 63, and on into the seventies have recorded several of Roberts songs. Notable amongst these would be The Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Elmore James, and many more. Johnson’s songs transcribed particularly well to the new Electric guitar line-ups of the fifties and on into the sixties. Probably one of the most popular of his songs, which I can’t imagine anyone not having heard in a modern format, is of course Crossroad Blues.

This song was recorded live at the Fillmore in San Francisco in 1968 by the great Eric Clapton and his two buddies, Jack Bruce on bass and stickman, Ginger Baker .This song also featured in Cream’s farewell concert at the Albert Hall in London in 1969. I doubt whether Johnson envisaged this treatment of his song when he wrote it or that his poetry would one day be the cornerstone of the Blues Revival of the Sixties.

It is a poignant end to his story that the great impresario John Hammond, who later went onto sign –up a young Bob Dylan in 1962, was just too late when he searched for Robert to appear in the momentous concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938. Robert Johnson was dead but his spirit and his music will live on for ever in the hearts and minds of the lovers of the music we call THE BLUES .

© Robin Piggott 2004 Key to the Highway Publications.

Robin Piggott is the owner of Astral School of Motoring which is based in Limerick, Ireland. He has thirty five years of Driving Experience and has driven Professionally for most of this time, including teaching in – house, before setting up his own Driving School. He would much rather have become a Guitar Slinger but that’s another story!
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