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BIOGRAPHY OF A PHANTOM

A ROBERT JOHNSON BLUES ODYSSEY

By Robert “Mack” McCormick

When this book was first mentioned, or talked about
back in the early nineteen seventies, I, like many
others, waited anxiously for its publication. This was
going to be the ultimate study on the so called ‘King
Of The Delta Blues’, Robert Johnson. McCormick had
given out ‘tasters’ by way of a paragraph here and
there in various blues magazines, telling us of what
he’d managed to find out.

Now, roughly fifty years later and eight years after
his death, “Mack’s” book is finally published by the
Smithsonian. (McCormick’s extensive
archive is now housed at the Smithsonian
National Museum Of American History.)

This is an amazing body of work which, had
it been available to the blues loving public
back in the seventies would have answered
so many questions. Now, along with Mrs.
Annye Anderson’s book “Brother Robert”
(2020), these two books not only bring Johnson to
life as a person, they also, almost complete the long
unanswered puzzle.

Although, we are at last, introduced to the real Robert
Johnson, a very talented songwriter, singer, guitarist. A young man who was, in most other ways,
like anybody else… he read the newspapers, went to the movie theatre to watch the latest films
and enjoyed listening to the big bands of the day.

Unfortunately, McCormick frequently suffered from depression and paranoia which would also
contribute to other ‘problems’. Because of this, many people were hurt in the process, mostly
Johnson’s family. It must be said though, he wasn’t the only researcher to cause this hurt.

I’ll leave that there, you’ll need to read the book for the names!

There are lots of books about Robert Johnson, possibly too many, but you only need two…

‘BROTHER ROBERT’ by Annye Anderson (2020)

‘BIOGRAPHY OF A PHANTOM’ by Robert ‘Mack’ McCormick (2023)

Both are very highly recommended grab ‘em while you can.

Bob Pearce