Blind Willie Johnson

"Blind" Willie Johnson (1897 - 1945), was an African-American singer and guitarist whose music straddled the border between blues and spirituals. While the lyrics of most of his songs were religious, his music drew from both sacred and blues traditions. Among musicians, he is considered one of the greatest slide or bottleneck guitar artists who ever lived, as well as one of the most revered figures of depression-era gospel music. Although he is called a bottleneck guitarist, he actually played with a pocket knife. His music is distinguishable by his powerful bass strumming and gravelly false-bass voice, with occasional use of a tenor voice.