[Harp-L] R.I.P. Robert Jr. Lockwood

"Craig Klein" <harmonicacraig@xxxxxxxxx> · Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:30:37 -0500

It is with great sadness that I must report the death of Robert Jr.
Lockwood, the stepson of blues legend Robert Johnson, the first man to ever
play guitar on the radio, the driving wheel behind Little Walter, Sonny
Boy Williamson and Big Walter ... not to mention the dude who taught Muddy
Waters to play, B.B. King and etc,  He was DA MAN!!!  He had the greatest
blues resume on the planet and was one of the last of the great pre-war
blues players.  I had the honor of playing with him several years ago and he
let me sit in with his band a few months ago at Fat Fish Blue ... what
really freaks me out is that he was at a blues jam a few weeks ago (he
suffered an aneurysm on November 3!) and I got to play for him!  I played
"In the Mood", "Stop Breaking Down" and a funky jam in "A".  What really
freaks me out is that I believe I was the last man to ever play
harmonica for this blues titan!  R.I.P., Mr. Lockwood.  I would ask all of
you to drink a glass of Hennessy(his favorite drink) and propose a toast to
his memory to the audience before your next gig ... we all owe him a debt of
gratitude that we will NEVER be able to repay!  Without him, that Chess
sound would not have been the same and the tunes we all cut our teeth on,
and which inspired many of us to pick up the harp, would not have been made
or would have sounded RADICALLY different if not for him.