Ry Cooder, who based his desolate soundtrack to Paris, Texas on "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground", described it as "the most soulful, transcendent piece in all American music." Dark Was The Night, Cold Was the Ground was included on the Voyager Golden Record, sent into space with the Voyager spacecraft in 1977 - Johnson's music left the solar system on December 16, 2004. The song is also used in Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Gospel According to St Matthew; Walk the Line, a biopic of country singer Johnny Cash; The Devil's Rejects, a serial kill… read more
Ry Cooder, who based his desolate soundtrack to Paris, Texas on "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground", described it as "the most s… read more
Ry Cooder, who based his desolate soundtrack to Paris, Texas on "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground", described it as "the most soulful, transcendent piece in all Ame… read more
Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was a gospel blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. While the lyrics of his songs were usually religious, his music drew from both sacred and blues traditions. It is characterized by his slide guitar accompaniment and tenor voice, and his frequent use of a lower-register 'growl' or false bass voice. According to his death certificate, Johnson was born in 1897 near Brenham, Texas. (Earlier, Temple, Texas had been suggested as his birthplace.) When he was five, he told his father he wanted to be a preacher and th… read more
Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was a gospel blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. While the lyrics of his songs were usually religious, his music drew from … read more
Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was a gospel blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. While the lyrics of his songs were usually religious, his music drew from both sacred and blues traditions. It is charac… read more