Louise Johnson

Subject: Louise Johnson
From: Slider (inactive)
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 12:31 AM

Does anyone know anything about Louise Johnson? She recorded in 1930 for Paramount in Grafton, Wis. She came up from Miss. with Son House, Charley Patton and Willie Brown. Are there any pictures or biographical info that have come to light ? I've thought the story of that trip and recording session would make a good short story or play, etc.

Subject: RE: Louise Johnson
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 03:10 AM

Apparently Louise Johnson was Charley Patton's mistress. She lived on the Kirby plantation, near Robinsonville, Mississippi. Son House described her as "a nice-lookin' old gal" despite the fact that "her hair was short, you know: look like she had been had a man's haircut in them days." In House's view (on their trip to Grafton): "she wasn't . . . 'bout twenty-three, twenty-four years old. She's kinda young." also "she didn't do nothin' but drink and play music; didn't work for nobody."

During the trip up to Grafton Johnson and Patton had a drunken argument during the course of which Patton hit her. This led Johnson to move from her seat next to Patton, to one next to House. During the rest of the journey Johnson and House got closer together and when they eventually arrived in Grafton they shared a room.

On their return to Mississippi they soon parted. House only saw Johnson once more after that. He thought that she had moved to Helena Arkansas, although for a time she lived on the King and Anderson Plantation near Clarksdale.

This is all the information I could find on her. It comes from Wardlow and Calt's biography of Charley Patton.

Brian