BEFORE THE FLOOD

IN SEARCH ỌF MEMPHIS MINNIE, CỌMPỌSER ỌF THE ỌRIGINAL WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS. YỌUR GUIDE: RỌBERT GỌRDỌN.

MEMPHIS MINNIE cut heads, she cut throats, she cut hits. Perhaps not throats, but Robert Johnson’s travelling partner Johnny Shines had this to say: “Any men fool with her, she’d go for them right away. She didn’t take no foolishness off them. Guitar, pocket-knife, pistol, anything she got her hands on, she’d use it. Memphis Minnie used to bea hell-cat.” Born Lizzie Douglas and raised in rural Mississippi, she was always drawn to the bright lights of Memphis, leaving home for good in 1910 at age 13, establishing herself on Beale Street, home of the blues. She didn’t do that uptown Ma Rainey and Mamie Smith orchestrated stuff; she played her six strings like a six shooter. She didn’t mind the occasional talented partner, though, and the few times she wanted…

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MOJO (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 2021

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