PART ONE: Below you will find a list of some of the more noteworthy legends and myths of modern music history. For Part One of this assignment, you should research and summarize each incident in a well-developed paragraph. (3 paragraphs total).
Myth/Legend #1: Robert Johnson sells his soul to the devil
Myth/Legend #2: Ozzy Osbourne's taste for doves and bats
Myth/Legend #3: The mythology surrounding the Abbey Road cover
Make sure that your sources are legitimate. Remember- any information that you gain from any source is not yours. You must cite your sources using MLA format. Use the links on the lower left of this blog to assist in your citations. Keep in mind that the 26 other students in your class will uncover much of the same information, so in order to separate yourself from the pack you must focus on authoritative sources, excellent writing, detail, and proper citations.
For MLA documentation assistance, click here.
17 comments:
When Robert Johnson was young he was discouraged and ridiculed at the local juke joint by a band he admired Son House. He usually played the harmonic and was not good at the guitar. After that he mysteriously disappeared for about a year. During this time his wife died in childbirth, and some say this lead him into voodoo energy and channeling his emotions into his music. When Robert came back he was a music genius with the guitar.
Johnson, Tommy. "Did Robert Johnson Sell Hi Soul at the Crossroads?" Mudcat Cafe. Web. .
At some of Ozzy Osborne’s concerts people would bring animals such as cats, chickens, frogs, and snakes to through on stage. At Osborne’s concert in the “Bark at the Moon Tour” Someone through a bat on stage and he grabbed the bat and bit the head off. After this he was ridiculed by many animal activists. Then at a meeting between CBS and Osborne he planned to release three white doves. After the first two flew away the third stayed sick in the cage, so Osborne bit the doves head off.
Waltkins, Terry. "Ozzy Osbourne The Rest of the Story." Dial-the-Truth Ministries a Christian Resource and Tract Ministry. Dial-the-Truth Ministries. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .
The Album Abbey Road by The Beatles was originally released in 1969. The band was unhappy with the album so they hired Phil Specter to help “salvage” the album. The album was then again released but called Let it Be in 1970. Let it Be was then ranked #15 on the 500 albums of all time by the Rolling Stone.
Markus, Marvin. "Abbey Road: Song by Song." Free Articles Directory | Submit Articles - ArticlesBase.com. Articlebase.com, 23 July 08. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .
According to the legend, bluesman Robert Johnson “went down to the crossroads” one day in the country and sold his soul to the devil. He was an aspiring guitar player who contained a childhood dream of becoming a famous musician someday, but had just one problem: he was a terrible guitar player. Not unlike many other musicians of his time, Johnson disappeared for a year or two, then suddenly came back with the amazing ability to mesmerize people with his remarkable guitar skills. Rumor has it that in order to obtain the skill he did, Johnson had to meet up with the devil and trade his soul for the skill. He ended up dying at age 27 of alleged “poisoning”, which was a result of bad whiskey given to him by a jealous husband.
http://www.bluescentric.com/blues/robert_johnson/#devil
Throughout his life, Ozzy’s strange and peculiar behavior has constantly been criticized by society as a whole. He has repeatedly bitten the heads (and other limbs) off of animals such as chickens, doves, bats, and other small rodents. The reasoning behind these abnormal antics would be his extensive alcohol and drug abuse, which has followed him for years. One of his most repulsive acts was when, during a show, he “bit the head off a bat he thought was rubber while performing at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa.” Later on, “Rolling Stone magazine…ranked this incident number two on its list of "Rock's Wildest Myths"”. It was then said by “Osbourne himself in the booklet to the 2002 edition of Diary of a Madman, the bat was not only alive but also managed to bite him, resulting in his having to take rabies shots.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_osbourne#Drug_and_alcohol_abuse
Over the years, there have been various different conspiracies associated with the Abbey Road cover of the Beatles’ album. Many people at the time of the release noticed that things regarding Paul McCartney were awry on the album cover. The notion that he was dead began with “the theory that Paul had been decapitated in an automobile wreck after he left Abbey Road studios in London, where the Beatles recorded their music. Paul had apparently left upset over an argument with the other Beatles, took his Aston Martin sportscar, and perished in a horrible accident”. This was marked on the cover by the lack of Paul’s shoes, a bloodstain that appears in front of Ringo Starr, and an image of the Grim Reaper that appears if the album is rotated a certain way. Paul McCartney didn’t every actually die, and these were not actual proclamations of his death, but many people took them to be subtle suggestions that Paul McCartney had really died.
http://www.livescience.com/4000-myth-rocks-premature-death-paul-mccartney.html
Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil.He wanted to become a musician and to do so he needed to sell his soul; he was ridiculed as a child when it was said he wanted to become a musician. He was “told” to go down to a crossroad with his guitar. The crossroad was around Dockery Plantation, which was located in Mississippi. He was told to be there at midnight. He knew nothing of why he was suppose to be there, and why only his guitar; he didn’t even know who he was meeting. The Devil took his guitar and “tuned” it. He also played a couple of songs, and then returned it back to Robert. Johnson was then able to become the great musician that he became to be, but to get there he had to sell his soul for the love of music.
The bat incident may be called an accident, but the biting off the head of a dove was no accident. It was completely on purpose, and it was just to get attention. Ozzy had just signed with CBS, who was overly interested in them because they also signed Adam Ant, and the network thought that his album was just another album. To make this album not just another album Sharon and Ozzy thought of something to get the CBS’s attention. They had a meeting with the network, and it was suppose to happen like this: Ozzy would throw two doves into the air when he was coming through the office; he thought that this would get their attention. Instead he put one in his pocket and when he came through to the office he bit the head of the dove off and spit it back out; he was drunk when the incident occurred. This, none the less, got him the attention.
The Abbey Road is the eleventh album created by the Beatles which was their last. The group was not getting along and had differences and conflicts with each other and decided to push all of that away and “go out on a high note”. This Album is considered one of their greatest albums. It was named/ rated number fourteenth on the list “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The cover is the members of the band and a look alike of Paul. Paul died from a car crash, and so the rest of the band got a look alike Paul to play his roll in the picture. Paul is wearing no shoes .Crossing the road, John is dressed like a priest; the Paul-lookalike- a dead guy, and George- a grave digger.
The legend of Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil is believed to have taken place in the early years of his life when he was a young man working on a rural Mississippi plantation. Robert Johnson had wanted to become a great blues musician, so he made a deal with the devil. He was “instructed” to take his guitar to a crossroads near another plantation. When he arrived there he was greeted by a large black man, whom he thought to be the devil, which tuned his guitar and played it. After the black man had played his guitar for a few songs and then returned it to him. Once the “devil had returned the instrument to young Robert Johnson he gained a mastery of the instrument, in exchange for his soul of course.
D.A.N Deal with the Devil: Understanding Robert Johnson, His Music and His Impact soulof rockand roll.com D.A.N, 4/06/2007
Robert Johnson was a popular blues artist during the 30’s until he died in 1938 at the age of 27. In one of Johnson’s songs, “Crossroads” he makes many allusions to The Devil and other seemingly satanic subjects. One line in the song (“standin’ at the crossroads tried to flag a ride”) has been misinterpreted and has led people to believe that he made a deal with the devil in order to become a blues virtuoso. Though, obviously, no proof of this exists to this day.
Ozzy Osbourne was perhaps the most outlandish of the 80’s rockers. He proved this with many ridiculous stage stunts, one of which involved biting the head off of a bat. The myths and legends came in when people started to exaggerate and assume that he eats them all the time. But to Ozzy’s defense, he thought that the bat was made of rubber, and he figured he could get the people in the crowd going if he bit the head off. Little did he know that the bat was actually real.
Robert Johnson’s music career was brief but has influenced countless musicians over the decades. His life ended before he became a legend; he would not live through his success. Robert Johnson’s song “Crossroads” sparked the idea of his deal with the devil. The myth is that Johnson sold his soul to the devil for extraordinary talent; it also says that the devil claimed his soul before Robert Johnson could live in his fame.
http://crossroads.stormloader.com/
Did the prince of Darkness become blood thirsty for live flesh? No he did not plan to eat a bat’s head that night in 1982. During a concert in Des Moines Iowa; concertgoer named Mark Neal threw a real bat on stage. Ozzy then grabbed the bite thinking it was a rubber toy and bit its head off. He was then quickly rushed to the hospital for rabies shots.
http://isittrue.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=15318719&imageindex=1&cp-searchtext=Ozzy%20Osbourn e%20bites%20bat&FORM=MSNIIT
While in their prime, a rumor about the Beatles spread, saying that Paul McCartney was dead. The Abby Road cover used one clue that he has passed. On the cover the only Beatle that is out of step is Paul, he is also bear-foot and the only one holding a cigarette. There are further speculations with back masking that claims if played backwards there are hidden messages. Messages openly saying that Paul is Dead.
Anthony Berardi
Robert Johnson’s music career was brief but has influenced countless musicians over the decades. His life ended before he became a legend; he would not live through his success. Robert Johnson’s song “Crossroads” sparked the idea of his deal with the devil. The myth is that Johnson sold his soul to the devil for extraordinary talent; it also says that the devil claimed his soul before Robert Johnson could live in his fame.
http://crossroads.stormloader.com/
Did the prince of Darkness become blood thirsty for live flesh? No he did not plan to eat a bat’s head that night in 1982. During a concert in Des Moines Iowa; concertgoer named Mark Neal threw a real bat on stage. Ozzy then grabbed the bite thinking it was a rubber toy and bit its head off. He was then quickly rushed to the hospital for rabies shots.
http://isittrue.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=15318719&imageindex=1&cp-searchtext=Ozzy%20Osbourn e%20bites%20bat&FORM=MSNIIT
While in their prime, a rumor about the Beatles spread, saying that Paul McCartney was dead. The Abby Road cover used one clue that he has passed. On the cover the only Beatle that is out of step is Paul, he is also bear-foot and the only one holding a cigarette. There are further speculations with back masking that claims if played backwards there are hidden messages. Messages openly saying that Paul is Dead.
Anthony Berardi
Robert Johnson’s music career was brief but has influenced countless musicians over the decades. His life ended before he became a legend; he would not live through his success. Robert Johnson’s song “Crossroads” sparked the idea of his deal with the devil. The myth is that Johnson sold his soul to the devil for extraordinary talent; it also says that the devil claimed his soul before Robert Johnson could live in his fame.
http://crossroads.stormloader.com/
Did the prince of Darkness become blood thirsty for live flesh? No he did not plan to eat a bat’s head that night in 1982. During a concert in Des Moines Iowa; concertgoer named Mark Neal threw a real bat on stage. Ozzy then grabbed the bite thinking it was a rubber toy and bit its head off. He was then quickly rushed to the hospital for rabies shots.
http://isittrue.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=15318719&imageindex=1&cp-searchtext=Ozzy%20Osbourn e%20bites%20bat&FORM=MSNIIT
While in their prime, a rumor about the Beatles spread, saying that Paul McCartney was dead. The Abby Road cover used one clue that he has passed. On the cover the only Beatle that is out of step is Paul, he is also bear-foot and the only one holding a cigarette. There are further speculations with back masking that claims if played backwards there are hidden messages. Messages openly saying that Paul is Dead.
Anthony Berardi
Blues, also known as “the Devil’s music”, has been both loved and hated for many years. A lot of blues music praises Satan, and some singers even cut him a deal. Including the most famous blues singer of them all, Robert Johnson. He could sell millions of records in a day, and he has also influenced rock, pop, folk, and jazz. But the rumor about his deals with the Devil is even more famous than his songs. Even though he never said anything about his mysterious deals, just the fact that he played the blues gave the people an excuse to start saying these things. Johnson was obviously obsessed with the Devil himself. “According to legend, as a young man living on a plantation in rural Mississippi, Robert Johnson was branded with a burning desire to become a great blues musician. He was ‘instructed’ to take his guitar to a crossroad near Dockery Plantation at midnight. There he was met by a large black man (the Devil) who took the guitar and tuned it. The ‘Devil’ played a few songs and then returned the guitar to Johnson, giving him mastery of the instrument. This was in effect, a deal with the Devil mirroring the legend of Faust. In exchange for his soul, Robert Johnson was able to create the blues for which he became famous.” (wikipedia)
One night, in the middle of one of Ozzy’s concerts, a fan threw a live bat on stage. Thinking it was a rubber chew toy, the rocker bit the head off of it. After the fact, he had to be rushed to the hospital for rabies shots. “After signing his first solo career record deal, Ozzy Osbourne came in to meet some of the people who worked there. His plan was to release the doves into the air to get people to notice him, but when no one noticed, he changed his plans. He grabbed one dove, bit its head off, then spit the head out. Then, with blood still dripping from his lips a security guard came to remove him and on the way out he bit the head off of another dove.” While the bat incident was a complete accident, the one with the dove was definitely not. It makes you think whether the bat “accident” really was an accident.
Amy Pereira
Robert Johnson was born on May 11, 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. He was a successful musician who began to be known as time went on. Many believe that Robert sold his soul to the devil in 1938, at the age of 27. He was with a married woman, and her husband who was the owner of the Juke Joint poisoned his whiskey which later killed him. There are many different rumors on how Robert Johnson died, however I guess we will never know for sure what the real, factual story is. It is said that he traded his soul in return for creating the blues.
Ozzy Osborne has been known to do illegal drugs, and be an alcoholic throughout his life. He has been none to bight of the heads of small animals in a live performance. He decided to use doves at a concert for a sign of peace, however he was intoxicated so he bit off the head of one of the doves. At another performance in Iowa, a woman threw a bat on the stage which was said to be dead. Ozzy thought it was rubber so he bites the head off of the bad, which was in fact real. Ever since the incidents he has been known, and remembered for biting of the heads of these animals.
Many have different opinions regarding the Abbey Road album cover. It is said that there is many hidden messages on the cover, in which people can comprehend in different ways. The clothing choice on the band members represented the different roles each of them played in the funeral. Everybody knows that Paul McCartney did not die, however there are clues on the album cover that suggest that he did die.
-Krista Woodworth
Robert Leroy Johnson was born on May 8, 1911 and died on August 16, 1938 at the age of 27. Robert was known as an American blues musician. During his lifetime his records sold poorly. It is rumored that Johnson was flirting with another woman at a bar one night and the bartender gave him a drink she didn’t know was poisoned. The legend is that one night Johnson played a song for the devil when he took his instrument and started playing songs. When he got his instrument back it is said to believe that the devil tuned the guitar perfectly.
Ozzy Osbourne has been looked down upon on his use of drugs. He has been known to bite the head off small animals. More popularly the heads of a bat and dove. When Osbourne planned to use doves at an upcoming concert while he was in Los Angeles he bit the head off a dove. He was said to be intoxicated at the time. Also during his live preformence in 1982 Ozzy saw a bat on the stage, thinking it was plastic, he bit the head off.
Conspiracies have surrounded the Beatles famous Abbey Road album cover. It is apparent that there are several hidden messages covering the entire cover. Some of the hidden messages are the choice of clothing for the band members. The clothing portrays different roles the band members played at a funeral. Also, Paul had no shoes on the cover. In the background there is a police van. The police van is a symbol of them keeping Paul’s death a secret.
Kathy Remick
Drew E
#1 Robert Johnson claimed to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical genius. This took place in Mississippi in a dinner. Since the claim, it has been one of the biggest tourist areas for blues related travels. Causing a controversy certainly helped him gain publicity which could be attributed to his popularity as a blues musician.
#2 Ozzy did bite off the head of a bat while performing. It is said he was however heavily intoxicated, as is usually the case, and could not decline the opportunity of biting off the head of a deceased bat. The bat was thrown onto the stage, and Ozzy thought it was a fake rubber one, which he later found out it was not.
#3 Conspiracy theorists think that Paul McCartney had died, and was replaced. They say since he is bare foot in the album cover, and has a cigarette they see that as conspirator proof of his death. Also worth noting, is that the guy in front is wearing all white, which supposedly represents a preacher.
Drew E
#1 Robert Johnson claimed to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical genius. This took place in Mississippi in a dinner. Since the claim, it has been one of the biggest tourist areas for blues related travels. Causing a controversy certainly helped him gain publicity which could be attributed to his popularity as a blues musician.
#2 Ozzy did bite off the head of a bat while performing. It is said he was however heavily intoxicated, as is usually the case, and could not decline the opportunity of biting off the head of a deceased bat. The bat was thrown onto the stage, and Ozzy thought it was a fake rubber one, which he later found out it was not.
#3 Conspiracy theorists think that Paul McCartney had died, and was replaced. They say since he is bare foot in the album cover, and has a cigarette they see that as conspirator proof of his death. Also worth noting, is that the guy in front is wearing all white, which supposedly represents a preacher.
1)Robert Johnson’s overpriced guitar lesson
Robert Johnson was once an ordinary blues-guitar player from Mississippi, playing, like many young musicians, whenever he was able to, which entailed much playing in between more established acts. Audiences were not particularly impressed. Then, in 1931, he disappeared, only to resurface two years later with a mountain of inexplicable musical and talent and skill that presumably had been left completely untapped. People were amazed, and, naturally, suspicious. How had Johnson become such a prodigious musician with so little warning? A story began to spread that he had struck a deal with the Devil at the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 in Johnson’s native Mississippi, exchanging his soul for musical ability. This was confirmed in the eyes of many when Johnson died suddenly and mysteriously in 1938 at 27 (unknowingly and unintentionally becoming the inaugural member of the legendary “27 Club”). Most rational people agree that Johnson was likely poisoned (for reasons unclear), but the rumors and intrigue will persist. Note that this legend has also been applied to other musicians, most notably Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page in particular).
2)Ozzy gives PETA an aneurysm
On January 20, 1982, an Iowan youth threw a deceased (although some claim it was alive, including Ozzy himself) bat onstage during an Ozzy Osbourne concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines. Thinking it was a toy, Osbourne bit into it and was subsequently rushed to the hospital for rabies shots. This hearkened back to an earlier incident during a press conference in May of 1981, in which Osbourne had bitten the head off a live dove in a drunken stupor. No other set of teeth (or winged rodent, or bird) has had quite as much impact on rock mysticism.
3)Paul McCartney: The Cute One, or The Cadaverous One?
The origins of the (in)famous “Paul is Dead” rumors have no documented source, but the evidence cited when trying to validate these rumors (in which many claimed that Paul McCartney had secretly died in a car accident) is fairly well-known. The most notable piece of evidence is (arguably) the cover of Abbey Road, which many claimed was a symbolic representation of Paul’s secret demise. Everything from the members of the band (John is a heavenly figure, because he’s dressed in white; Ringo is a mourner, because he’s dressed in black; George is a grave-digger, because he’s dressed like a poor person; Paul is a corpse, because he’s barefoot, out of step, and holding a cigarette, which were referred to by some as “coffin nails”; Pete Best is absent, for unrelated reasons), the license plate on the cars in the background (they indicate Paul’s age as interpreted through Hindu beliefs - 28), to even the spectators in the background (they’re dressed in monochromes, on opposite sides of the street, to symbolize heaven and Earth). Despite this, Paul is probably not dead.
Bibliography:
Doyle, Tom, Paul Elliott, Rob Fearin, Gareth Grundy, Rupert Howe, Peter Kane, Phil Mongredien, Mark
Morris, and Garry Mulholland. "Tour Babylon!" Q June 2006: 74-86. Print.
Author Unknown. "Rock Myths: Debunking Tall Tales." Q Dec. 2006: 50. Print.
Harbidge, Michael. "Officially Pronounced Dead? - The Great Beatle Death Conspiracy." TESCONET. Web.
24 Oct. 2011. .
In the post that I read it states that people believe that Robert Johnson made a pact with the devil at the crossroad in Clarksdale. The devil offers him a lot of choices, he askes him if he wants to play the harp, the devil also tells him that hes just like the rest, and asks him if he wants to be the “King of Delta Blues.” At first Johnson thinks that’s its too much. However in the end he ends up selling his soul to the devil.
Source: http://www.vagablogging.net/robert-johnson-sold-his-soul-to-the-devil-in-rosedale-mississippi.html
-Mikhala
Robert Johnson
In the post that I read it states that people believe that Robert Johnson made a pact with the devil at the crossroad in Clarksdale. The devil offers him a lot of choices, he asks him if he wants to play the harp, the devil also tells him that he’s just like the rest, and asks him if he wants to be the “King of Delta Blues.” At first Johnson thinks that’s it’s too much. However in the end he ends up selling his soul to the devil.
Bob Dylan goes electric
Bob Dylan was performing at the Newport Folk festival, and he decided to perform with an electric band. He picked three songs two from his album (Bringing it all Back home.) Which is “Like a rolling stone,” “Maggie’s farm.” He also sang “phantom engineer.” When he performed he tried to amp up the crowd and mixed folk with rock & roll. But instead the crowd booed him and harassed him. This was a bad outcome. Every since then he refused to go back to the festival.
During his adult years, Ozzy Osbourne has been criticized for drinking and doing drugs. Osbourne has been known to bite the heads off of small animals, like bats and doves. Due to the fact he was always in a drunk state of mind. He used the dove as a symbol of peace. Ozzy is known for biting heads off bats that are alive "the Rolling Stones stated the bat was alive.” He got a lot of feed back in his career for doing this.
The mythology surrounding the Abbey Road cover.
A lot of people have different thoughts or opinion on the Beatles famous album cover, Abbey Road. There are hidden messages and meanings to the album. One message was the absence of Paul's shoes on the cover which represented that he was dead.
Mikhala
Source: http://www.vagablogging.net/robert-johnson-sold-his-soul-to-the-devil-in-rosedale-mississippi.html
Monday Oct. 24
Absent when assigned.
Robert Johnson was a great American Blues artist. He is ranked fifth out of one hundred greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stones. He is rumored to have sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in Mississippi. Johnson wished his whole life to be a great blues guitarist, and legend says that the devil tuned his guitar giving him great skill. It is said that he did nothing to cover up the rumors. By the time he was twenty seven he had produced six records. Johnson’s death is just controversial and his burial is unmarked.
The myth about Ozzy is that he has a taste for bats and doves. Ozzy Osbourne has a high shock factor during his shows. Ozzy did bite the head off of a bat, but it was an accident. He believed that it was a rubber prop. The rabies vaccines that he has to undergo must have discouraged him from trying the stunt for real. There is also a rumor that Ozzy snorted fire ants. The rumors are created to arouse shock and awe from an audience.
The mythology surrounding The Beatles Abby Road cover is that it forecasted the death of Paul McCarthy. It is said that he died and was replaced by a look alike. The myth says that Paul stormed out of a session for Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band and died in a car crash. Paul was then replaced by a lookalike. Many believe that the Abby Road cover and several songs leave behind evidence of the crash, but nothing has been recovered. "Those freaks was right when they said you was dead, the one mistake you made was in your head". Lines from their songs were turned into clues. McCarthy was quoted saying "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," paraphrasing Mark Twain. "However," he continued, "if I was dead, I'm sure I'd be the last to know."
Works Cited
10 People Who Sold Their Soul To The Devil." Top 10 Lists - Listverse. Web. 09 Nov. 2011.
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"The ‘Paul Is Dead’ Myth | The Beatles Bible." The Beatles Bible: Songs, Albums, History, Profiles, Places, Photos and More. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. .
"Top 10 Rock Music Myths 6-10." Classic Rock - Bands Songs Artists CDs DVDs MP3s Lyrics and History of Classic Rock. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. .
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