Tommy Johnson

Tommy Johnson (born c. 1896, near Terry, Mississippi, U.S.—died November 1, 1956, Crystal Springs, Mississippi) was an American singer-guitarist who was one of the most evocative and influential of blues artists. He is associated with a legend about a bluesman who sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for otherworldly musical talent; the same legend became attached to fellow Mississippian Robert Johnson (no relation).

(Why is blues called the Devil’s music?)

Born on a plantation, Johnson was from a large family and grew up in Crystal Springs, Mississippi. He learned to play guitar from his older brother LeDell. As a teenager he ran away from home to play in the Mississippi Delta region, where he encountered other early blues singers, most notably Charley Patton. According to LeDell, his brother returned home two years later with a story that he had met a sinister figure (Satan) at a crossroads at night. In exchange for Johnson’s soul, the Devil had tuned the musician’s guitar, briefly played it, and then handed it back to Johnson, who suddenly could play whatever he wanted. That encounter allegedly explained the musician’s prodigious new talent. (LeDell recounted this story to ethnomusicologists David Evans and Marina Bokelman in 1966, a decade after Tommy’s death.)

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Britannica Quiz

Pop Culture Quiz

Subsequently, Johnson moved back to the Delta region, where he spent much of the rest of his life playing at parties, dances, picnics, and juke joints, performing for donations on town streets, and sometimes taking nonmusical jobs; he also played in neighboring states and periodically returned to Crystal Springs. Johnson was known for eccentricities such as carrying a large rabbit’s foot wherever he went and for his dazzling performance tricks, such as playing the guitar behind his head or between his legs.

Johnson’s only two recording sessions, in 1928 and 1930, revealed his sweet voice, with near-yodeling falsetto phrases, over a simple but active guitar accompaniment. Lyrics from his songs, including “Maggie Campbell Blues,” “Big Road Blues,” and “Cool Drink of Water Blues,” became standard features of the blues repertoire. Howlin’ Wolf later reworked the opening lyrics of “Cool Drink of Water Blues” into his own song “I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline).”

One of Johnson’s most compelling works, “Canned Heat Blues,” was autobiographical. Its title refers to Sterno, a brand of cooking fuel that contains methyl alcohol; it was one of several types of cheap alcohol that he consumed. The song’s lyrics offer a harrowing tale of addiction: “Crying, Mama, Mama, Mama, crying, canned heat is killing me / Canned heat don’t kill me… / Woke up this mornin’ with the canned heat, Lord, on my mind.” His “Alcohol and Jake Blues” is another account of his struggles with alcoholism.

Johnson died of a heart attack after performing at a house party in Crystal Springs. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1986. Notably, the Coen brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) features a character, a young blues musician played by Chris Thomas King, who is named Tommy Johnson and recounts the famous “Devil at the crossroads” story.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE