This caught my eye today…
“Last of the legendary Delta bluesmen”
…noting the passing on to the great gig in the sky of bluesman David “Honeyboy” Edwards.
I confess I had never heard of Mr Edwards until today…
…but like many rock fans have acquired an interest in the blues over the years.
The mystique of the Delta bluesmen continues to exert a fascination.
One of the greatest was the truly legendary Robert Johnson…
…and part of “Honeyboy” Edwards’ claim to fame is that not only did he play with Johnson…
…but was there the night the “King of the Delta Blues Singers” was poisoned in a Mississippi juke joint in 1938.
Great article that includes a timeless marketing lesson…
…that’s flagged in this quote.
Although Edwards in later years used his links to Johnson to his advantage, he was contemptuous of the industry that grew up around the blues legend after the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton began covering his songs in the 1960s. Johnson, he noted sharply, made little or no money in his lifetime, and he found the sight of others with no direct connection to him making a fortune from his memory and his songs distasteful.
Like many people I found out about the blues and the original bluesmen through the loving covers by artists like the Stones, Eric Clapton and (especially in my case) George Thorogood. If it wasn’t for those guys, a lot fewer people would ever have heard about the blues.
It’s too bad that Robert Johnson didn’t reap the benefits of his talents (although I’m guessing the estate must have made some money)…
…but many other blues artists (John Lee Hooker and even Edwards, for example) found a wider audience and greater success than they would have otherwise.
Once again…
…it’s the marketing, not simply the “product”…
…as discussed in “It’s Not The Mousetrap…It’s All About The Marketing…” .
Because of artists like Clapton and the Stones (who were successful in marketing their work), the songs of Robert Johnson like “Love In Vain” became standards.
Without that successful marketing Johnson and his songs would have remained a footnote in musical history known by only a few devotees.
It’s all about the marketing…
…that’s where the money is.
Remember that…
..and avoid those “Someone Else Made All The Money” Marketing Blues.