Legacy An old home movie which came to light in recent years contained 3.5 seconds of a black musician playing rack harmonica and guitar. It was alleged by one of the persons who paid for the film to be transferred to video that the musician was Robert Johnson. It was not. A movie poster which appears in the background behind the musician advertises a film that was made in 1940! A still from this clip is on the main page. Also, there has been a recent dicovery of an alternate take of "Traveling Riveside Blues". It can be found on the remastered copy of the 1961 album, King of the Delta Blues Singers (Columbia Legacy CK 65746). Photographs There are only two known photographs in existence (Click on the small images to view larger, higher quality versions.) You can find merchandise related to these photos at Pomegranate Publications. This postage-stamp-size photograph was found inadvertently by Stephen LaVere while he and Robert Johnson's half-sister Carrie Thompson were searching in Mrs. Thompson's old cedar chest for other memorabilia relating to her brother. The image was reversed, i.e., it's a mirror image, as is indicative of the mechanism of photo booths of the day, and the negative made for LaVere by Thompson must be reversed in the printing process for the image to correctly appear. Being a photo booth photograph, it was taken by the subject and hence its title: photo-booth self-portrait. Mrs. Thompson recalled then that it was taken a couple of years before the Hooks Bros. Studio Portrait. While Mrs. Thompson assigned all rights in this photograph to LaVere as part of an all-inclusive business deal in late 1974, she retained the original print. Mrs. Thompson passed away in 1983 and the present whereabouts and condition of the little original are uncertain. This photograph is not public domain and was duly registered for copyright upon its initial publication in Rolling Stone magazine in 1986. Its formal credit and copyright notice are as follows: Robert Johnson photo-booth self-portrait, early 1930's ©1986 Delta Haze Corporation All Rights Reserved. If you would care to inquire about licensing this photograph, please use the License Application found herein.   This holy grail of the blues was displayed to Stephen LaVere during his initial meeting and personal interview with Robert Johnson's half-sister Carrie Thompson. The photograph was taken by Hooks Bros. of Memphis and was printed on heavy card stock as was customary for fine portraits in those days. The imprint of the photography business' embossing stamp is clearly visible on the original. Mrs. Thompson allowed the photograph to be borrowed, copied and returned to her while she held a security deposit. She later assigned all rights in the photograph to LaVere as part of an all-inclusive business deal in late 1974, but she retained the original print. Mrs. Thompson passed away in 1983 and the present whereabouts and condition of the only known original print of this beautiful portrait are uncertain. This photograph is not public domain and was duly registered for copyright upon its initial publication in 78 Quarterly magazine in 1989. Its formal credit and copyright notice are as follows: Robert Johnson Studio Portrait Hooks Bros., Memphis, circa 1935 ©1989 Delta Haze Corporation All Rights Reserved. If you would care to inquire about licensing this photograph, please use the License Application found herein. Johnson's Influence One of the only certain things about Robert Johnson's career and music was his lasting effect on our music and culture today. Although not a household name himself, some of those who aspired to be like him are. Rock Legends Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Eric Clapton (Cream), The Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley, were all inspired by the works of Robert Johnson. And their music has had great impacts on Pop, Rock, Country, Blues, and Heavy Metal. The first person to cover Johnson was Tommy McClennan, who remade "Sweet Home Chicago" released as "Baby Don't You Want to Go?", at his first session on November 22, 1939. Other popular remakes were made by the legendary Muddy Waters, with "Kindhearted Woman Blues", and Elmore James with "I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom". Rock and Blues Legend Eric Clapton is a person that most people recognize. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest or perhaps even the greatest guitar player ever. Clapton started playing of a musical diet of American blues that included Robert Johnson's work. He has played in such bands as the Yardbirds, Cream, and Derrik and the Dominoes. He also was featured in the Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and has had a brilliant solo career to this date. Eric Clapton covered the songs "Cross Road Blues" and "From Four Until Late" when recording with Cream. Jimmy Page - if that name is not familiar to you, then you are probably not a fan of the group Led Zeppelin. Another favorite amongst guitar players, this man was seriously inspired at a young age by Robert Johnson. This perhaps led to a cover of "Traveling Riveside Blues". Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant was also a Johnson fan. An example of how they were influenced is how they (Page and Plant) borrowed the line "squeeze my lemon till the juice runs downs my leg" for "The Lemon Song". Led Zeppelin has more in common with Johnson than just music. Jimmy Page was well known to be very interested in the occult. Supposedly the group members (Excluding John Paul Jones) also sold their souls to Satan in exchange for stardom. Like Johnson, they too had a meteoric rise to fame. The Rolling Stones were also interested in Robert Johnson. This relates to their early Blues interests. However, for a certain time of their career most of the members were involved with the occult. Finally, Elvis shares more than just certain dates with Robert Johnson. The "King of Rock n' Roll" and an early Country Western influence claimed that he was a fan of the blues great Robert Johnson. Although he was interested and facinated by the occult, he was never proven to be involved, or really ever accused of doing so. Johnson's Heir There was a trial in Mississippi between purported heirs of Robert Johnson disputing who had rights to his estate. The court found that Johnson did father Claud Johnson, who as a result, has become Robert Johnson's lawful heir. Supreme Court of Mississippi decision. Comments?