BLUES N'AT

It is rumored that Robert Johnson made a pact with the Devil at the Crossroads. The myth goes on to say that Johnson sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for the mastery of blues guitar. Whether Johnson did, indeed, make this deal remains to be seen. What is known is that many blues greats have gone a different route for their craft. As Mrs. Black-N-Gold attended Saturday night mass at her local church one evening, she got to thinking about the influence the church has had on many blues performers. A number of them even played in their local church choirs while honing their skills. Numerous early blues artists where raised in the Baptist churches in the south and fell in love with music in the pews and pulpits of their local masses. These singers and musicians, in turn, took their messages to the streets, busking on corners, playing juke joints and house rent parties. Still, countless remained faithful to the church. To quote the T-Bone Walker classic, "Stormy Monday": "Well the eagle flies on Friday and Saturday I go out to play. Sunday I go to church, I kneel down and pray". When these entertainers migrated north to cities such as Chicago, Detroit and New York, they took their love of the blues with them but they also took their firm beliefs in God. Spiritual songs such as "Wade in the Water" have made their way onto blues playlists for decades. Gospel greats Mavis Staples and Mahalia Jackson have shared the stage with many a bluesman. It was blues musician Thomas Dorsey who is credited with combining the spiritual with the secular, paving the way so that others may do so in perfect harmony. From Blind Willie Johnson to Sam Cooke to Otis Redding to the Slide Brothers, the music continues to reach the masses to this day. Until next time, boys and girls, can I get an "Amen"? Keep It Bluesy!