RIP Robert Jr Lockwood

Beadle and Tatum: 10th Dec 2006 - 20:17 GMT

Lockwood attributed his longevity in part to exercising regularly, a habit he picked up as a teenage boxer. He said he did 30 push-ups and 30 knee-bends a day - most days, anyway.

He also had a low-stress outlook on life.

"I know I'm lucky," he told The Plain Dealer a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday. "I just try not to worry about nothing. Why do that?"

colavitos ghost: 10th Dec 2006 - 22:43 GMT

he wasn't actually the son of robert johnson, though that's a common misconception.

the real story goes that when robert lockwood was 11 or 12 years old, robert johnson moved in with lockwood and his single mother. at this time, johnson began to pass down his knowledge of the blues to the young lockwood, inspiring a long and productive musical career. many people believe that lockwood was the last living disciple of robert johnson-- considered by many to be the greatest bluesman of all time.

little ukraine: 10th Dec 2006 - 22:55 GMT

the jr. was adopted as an homage to johnson. thanks, B&D, for this shot of a true blues legend!

Beadle and Tatum: 11th Dec 2006 - 01:32 GMT

My bad. I always thought he was an unawknowledged outta wedlock child to Johnson, but I looked it up.

"Growing up in rural Arkansas, Mr. Lockwood learned guitar fundamentals from Johnson, who also functioned as an occasional stepfather although there was only a four-year age difference."

Its wierd that one lived so long while the other died so young.

Beadle and Tatum: 11th Dec 2006 - 01:44 GMT

What other musicians deserve the name "cleveland legend?" I was at the rock hall recently and the section on great ohio musicians was underwhelming. There was the "hang on sloopy" guys and the james gang... Not much else. Not much memorable. Who is the most respected non-classical musican from cleveland right now?

little ukraine: 11th Dec 2006 - 15:02 GMT

cleveland artists might be hard to name, but one could certainly make a list of cleveland songs-

'look out, cleveland' by the band
'burn on' by randy newman
'cleveland rocks' by ian hunter
'cuyahoga' by r.e.m.

Carrie Misak: 11th Dec 2006 - 20:02 GMT

Could anyone explain why he was credited as Robert Jr. Lockwood and Robert Lockwood Jr.?

little ukraine: 11th Dec 2006 - 20:55 GMT

it's from the robert johnson connection; he took jr. in the sense that his mentor was robert johnson, and he was robert jr., the protege. he wasn't robert lockwood jr. because he wasn't the son of robert lockwood.

colavitos ghost: 11th Dec 2006 - 23:15 GMT

he is often mistakenly referred to as "robert lockwood, jr." but as LU explains, that is a misnomer. i used to get it wrong, and i think most people still do.

Carrie Misak: 12th Dec 2006 - 00:07 GMT

Although I asked the question, and thank you for the answers, I think the point is : Who give a shit? The man went to work!

procyon: 13th Dec 2006 - 16:40 GMT

the PD obituary is a good read: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1164189449118180.xml&coll=2

other cleveland musicians: the dead boys/rocket from the tombs, bone thugs-n-harmony, mushroomhead (euch), Devo and Chrissie Hynde if you count Akron... i feel like i'm missing a bunch of 60's pop singers here.

Beadle and Tatum: 13th Dec 2006 - 17:04 GMT

I always brag that Cleveland has the Rock hall, but you realize what a coup it was after comparing the musical displays there about Tennesse, Detroit, London and New York to the display of medium quality Ohio artists. Alan Freed put on the first "rock and roll" concert in 1952, so we have a legalistic claim, but its really just an amazing job by our chamber of commerce, or whoever made it happen.

Here's another question: who was the last cleveland artist you heard on the radio or saw on MTV? I think it was probably Bone back in the 90s.

colavitos ghost: 13th Dec 2006 - 19:32 GMT

can't believe i forgot to mention the dead boys. thanks procyon!

colavitos ghost: 13th Dec 2006 - 19:33 GMT

and don't forget r&b legends eddie and gerald levert (RIP).

colavitos ghost: 14th Dec 2006 - 00:33 GMT

to go back to the question of cleveland's entitlement to the museum:

do any of you think the selection committee's thought process might have been, "well, new york and london both have assloads of museums, so let's give cleveland a bit of the action"? i wonder if that sentiment could have had anything to do with their choice of cleveland.

don't get me wrong, i'm glad we have it. but it does seem that cleveland might not be the most highly qualified city in the world...

Beadle and Tatum: 17th Dec 2006 - 03:52 GMT

I think the selection committee was probably swayed by a huge bid by the city of cleveland. I bet no other city was willing to pay as much as we were. Im gonna do a little digging...

I like the rock hall, but IMAGINE if instead of spending all that money on the building, we just funded free musical training and cheap instruments for the people. Thats how come sweden has so many famous rock bands even though it has less people than Ohio.

Beadle and Tatum: 17th Dec 2006 - 04:33 GMT

http://www.thefilthandthefury.co.uk/images/congrat1a.jpg

Its a hand written rambling note about the Sex Pistols calling the mueseum a "piss stain".

There was some pettitioning and a USA today poll that helped locate the hall.

I did some research, this is the saddest thing:

http://cleveland.about.com/od/music/tp/famousmusicians.htm

Top 10 Famous Music Artists from Northeast Ohio
From Sandy Mitchell,
Your Guide to Cleveland, OH.
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Cleveland has been the home of a number of number of notable singers, songwriters, and music artists. Among them are Tracy Chapman, jazz pianist Jim Brickman, and 70s pop star Eric Carmen. It's a mixed group, to be sure, but all are important in their genres. (Click on the artist's name for an annotated list of their individual CDs.)
1) Jim Brickman
Adult contemporary pianist and songwriter, Jim Brickman grew up in Cleveland and attended both Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University. His music career includes 15 CDs, 3 no. 1 Billboard hits, 3 gold records, 1 platinum record, and a Grammy nomination, among other honors. He has played at the Ford Theater, Carnegie Hall, and the White House. He released two CDs in 2006: Escape and Christmas Romance.
2) Eric Carmen
Eric Carmen, songwriter, frontman for the 60s group "The Raspberries", and solo artist, grew up in the eastern Cleveland suburb of Lyndhurst. He enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music children's program at 3 and attended Brush High School and John Carroll University. Carmen is best known for his 1976 pop standard "All By Myself" and his movie anthems: "Almost Paradise" from Footloose and "Hungry Eyes" from Dirty Dancing. Carmen returned to Cleveland with his wife and two daughters in 2004. He now concentrates on his songwriting.
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3) Tracy Chapman
Born in Cleveland in 1964, folksinger and songwriter Tracy Chapman began appearing in coffeehouses while attending Tufts University in Massachusetts. After graduation, she signed with SBK Records and her CD "Tracy Chapman" was released in 1988. It went multi-platinum and earned her four Grammy awards, including "Best Artist." Chapman has released six other CDs, the most recent of which is 2005's "Where You Live."
4) The James Gang
The James Gang was formed in Cleveland in 1966 with Jim Fox on drums, Tom Kriss on bass, Phil Giallombardo on keyboards, and Ronnie Silverman and Glen Schwartz on guitar. Joe Walsh (see below) replaced Schwartz in 1968, shortly before the group gained national exposure. Their James Gang Rides Again album is considered a rock classic. Although the group disbanded in 1976, members of the band have reunited for various events, including a concert for Bill Clinton in 1996, a Rock Hall fund raiser in 2001, and a US tour in 2006.
5) Robert Lockwood Jr.
Grammy-award winning Bluesman, Robert Lockwood Jr is a Cleveland institution. Born in Arkansas, he brought his soulful sound to Cleveland in 1961. Now over 90 years old, he still plays weekly at Fat Fish Blue, downtown, as well as other periodic gigs around the region.
6) Dean Martin
Dean Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti in 1917 in Steubenville Ohio. He was a singer, an actor, a comedian, and a member of the famous duo "Martin and Lewis" and the 60s iconic group "The Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. Martin got his first music break in Columbus at the State Restaurant and honed his craft as primary vocalist for the Sammy Watkins orchestra in Cleveland in the 1940s. Martin is best known for his recordings of "That's Amore" and "Everybody Loves Somebody" among others.
7) The O'Jays
The O'Jays, originally called the Triumphs, were formed in 1958 in Canton Ohio by five high school friends: Walter Williams, Bill Isles, Bobby Massey, William Powell, and Eddie Levert. Associated with the 1970s "Philadelphia Sound," their hits include "For the Love of Money" (now the theme for the TV show "The Apprentice") and "Back Stabbers." The O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. They continue to perform.
8) Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders
Akron native and former Kent State student, Chrissie Hynde formed punk rock band The Pretenders in London in 1978. The band has changed personnel several times with singer/songwriter Hynde as the only constant, but continues to perform. The band's hits include "Don't Get Me Wrong" and "My City is Gone," a song Hynde wrote about Akron's downturn in the 1980s.
9) Michael Stanley
The Michael Stanley Band is a Northeast Ohio regional favorite. Formed in the mid-70s, the band is best known for its songs "My Town" and "He Can't Love You." Frontman, Michael Stanley was born in Cleveland, raised in Rocky River, and attended Rocky River HS and Hiram College. Never quite able to break through to a national audience, MSB continued to fill area concert venues until they broke up in 1986. After the break, Stanley still worked in the Cleveland area, as a TV host on Cleveland PM and as a DJ for WNCX 98.5, a job he stills holds. Stanley and his new band, the Resonators, still perform periodic concerts.
10) Frankie Yankovic
Frankie Yankovic was a Cleveland original. Raised in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood by Slovenian parents, Yankovic learned the accordion at a young age. In 1948, he recorded his break-through hit "Just Because," one of over 200 albums he would record. Yankovic performed with a variety of entertainers in his over 50 year career, including Doris Day, Chet Atkins, Don Everly, and more recently, Drew Carey. Yankovic won a Grammy award in 1986, the first ever awarded in the Best Polka Recording category.