Blind Willie Johnson
Blind Willie Johnson (1897-1945) - was one of the most influential bottleneck guitarists. Most of his songs had gospel themes and were played in open D tuning. Some think that Johnson used a knife or some other metal object as a slide, but one photo (above) shows him with a bottleneck on his finger. Whatever his choice of devices, Johnson produced a hauntingly soulful sound that many have tried to imitate over the years. Between 1927 and 1930, Johnson recorded 30 sides for Columbia Records, many of which have become blues classics.
My Favorite Blind Willie Johnson Tunes:
(1) Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning
(2) The Soul of A Man
(3) Nobody's Fault But Mine
(4) God Moves On The Water
(5) Lord, I Just Can't Keep From crying
(6) God Don't Never Change
(7) Trouble Will Soon Be Over
(8) Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground
(9) When The War Was On
(10) Take Your Stand