Topic: Elvie (L.V.) Thomas

[oddenda]

Come on, fellow anoraks... truth is that almost nobody gives a shit about this stuff except for a miniscule group of culturally slumming record collectors applying their aesthetic and whose numbers are close to zero in the grand scheme of things. Is this stuff important to "us"? Yes. Is it important to the world at large? NO. And it never will be, no matter how hard we wish otherwise. It's amazing that such a piece was a cover story for the NYT Sunday magazine section. How'd he do it??

Peter B.

[TonyGilroy]

I tried to interest my wife in the story but gave up quickly. Hardly anyone I know is remotely interested in pre war blues but many of course think they know all about Robert Johnson. He IS of interest but the general public doesn't seem to want to see him in a wider context.

Part of this story is the mine of unpublished research Mac seems to have about RJ and a strong sub text to the article is what might be in his files. If so much can be uncovered about such minor players what could there be about RJ?

I think that's why the NYT was interested.

[Lyle Lofgren]

I tried to interest my wife in the story but gave up quickly. Hardly anyone I know is remotely interested in pre war blues but many of course think they know all about Robert Johnson. He IS of interest but the general public doesn't seem to want to see him in a wider context.

Part of this story is the mine of unpublished research Mac seems to have about RJ and a strong sub text to the article is what might be in his files. If so much can be uncovered about such minor players what could there be about RJ?

I think that's why the NYT was interested.

I'd argue that, even if you added all the people who've heard of Robert Johnson, you still wouldn't get to 0.00001% of the American population, much less that of the world. And even those people wouldn't have known about RJ if it weren't that the circumstances of his death agree with the stereotype of the blues musician. It didn't hurt any that Columbia did some PR work when the LPs were first released.

Lyle

[TonyGilroy]

When you talk about blues to people who aren't knowledgeable (the rest of the world minus a few hundred nerds) they tend to respond with comments about RJ provided that they have some interest in rock music.

If that wasn't the catalyst for the NYT's interest I don't know what was.

[Fkeller]

It's not too surprising that few know about the blues, much less pre-war, country, or songster traditions.  The music business as it stands is built on the "now," predicated on heavy drums and electrification, and in general geared towards a teen and pre-teen audience.  But I do know that when I present this kind of material to audiences I find them to be very interested in it. 

At any rate, perhaps this part of the discussion belongs in a different thread.  I'd be exceedingly interested in seeing a photograph of any these musicians, much less someone I've come to admire a great deal like Geeshie Wiley.  I hope more information about them comes out.  Clearly the NY Times thought their readership's interest would be piqued or the article would have died on the editing room floor.  The Robert Johnson angle may have been played to titillate or tease those few people who know no more about the music than that name, but the bulk of the article did not concern him. 

Ultimately I don't give a damn whether the general public embraces or is told to embrace this music.  I like it and I'll do what I can to learn more and tell folks.  But I do think that most of the reason for a perceived disdain for this music has more to do with the national attention span having, in general, the length of a mayfly's life. 

[wreid75]

If I wasn't 110% sure the photo was of Wiley I would think twice about posting it online.  Anyone that remembers this http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=9103.0 discussion knows that if the information is not absolutely rock solid and of peer review quality they may be cannibalized by their own.

[dj]

I see no problem posting a photo, even if the ID is not 100% certain, as long as the source of the photo and the source of the ID are adequately cited.  For example, I'd have no problem with "Photo from the collection of Mike McMichael.  Received by McMichael from John Doe in Houston, Texas in 1961.  Identified by Doe as L.V. Thomas c. 1930.  Photo taken by Doe's aunt Cora Mae Doe."  Just do your homework, cite the reasons for your ID and your confidence in the ID's correctness, and you'll be fine. 

[poymando]

A response to the Sullivan article:
http://observer.com/2014/04/robert-mccormicks-daughter-responds-to-nyt-magazine-cover-story/

[wreid75]

Ms. McCormick added that she and her father were considering taking legal action but were still weighing their options.

It looks like he learned much from Steve LaVere.  More lawsuits is exactly what is needed.  Judging from his daughter we might never know what Mack has.  His collection may be seen as a financial asset to her.  She must have no idea how little money there is in this kind of music and that kind of research.  Hope they filled up a hight capacity flash drive while they had a chance.  It is likely the only opportunity to that knowledge anyone will get without writing a very big check.

[Gilgamesh]

Ms. McCormick added that she and her father were considering taking legal action but were still weighing their options.

I guess that answers the question, "How does McCormick feel about the article?"

[Kokomo O]

And so much for the inference that McCormick consented, if perhaps after the fact, to the taking of his notes and their use for the article. Sounds like he's pissed.

[Shovel]

?I won?t try to make it sound like I didn?t struggle with it,? he said of the ethical blurriness of the situation. ?It?s not the kind of thing you want to do with every story.?

Ethical Bluriness.  I like that.

[wreid75]

Is he mad that the world got to learn about the lives of these real people who made real music?  Is he mad that he didn't get to determine who was worthy of learning about this portion of history?  Is he mad that for once some of the history that he has hijacked and held hostage for 60 years was rescued?  Is he mad that finally life was breathed into the legend and lore of these two singers?  Is he mad that people were willing to travel to his home and work without him having to pay anything?  He could have written the articles himself many times over.  He didn't and these two people are being vilified as if they were Donald Sterling when all they did was free a little nugget of our musical heritage and allowed it to be shared with the world.  In doing so they shed light on what is going on inside that house and that family and that is what they are most likely mad about.  The complications of Macks mental and physical state was part of the story.  His daughter calling Mack an invalid is far more appalling.  The balls of her to reduce Macks mental capabilities to such a feeble state when the two other people involved in this story paints a very different picture.  If he is an invalid then them taking the info might be in poor taste but his daughter leaving an invalid elderly man to fend for himself is criminal.  Something tells me that isn't the case.  She used a humiliating term for any sound minded elderly individual to skew the debate emotionally.  She was successful unfortunately.  I think there is much that both Mack and Susannah are mad about and these researchers are the scapegoats.  I might be that he feels Lavere blocked his legacy and that his pursuit of knowledge robbed Susannah.

[Mr.OMuck]

This just means that she's ready to sell and is trying to drive up the price. I hope somebody makes her a good offer.

[Gilgamesh]

Wow.

The cynicism of some people in this thread leaves me speechless. And depressed.