Super Chikan

I was fortunate to come across James "Super Chikan" Johnson outside of a nightclub in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He is considered one of the premiere American blues musician and nephew of blues musician Big Jack Johnson. Considered one of the exponents of a raw and electrified version of the Delta blues sound. Winning such awards such as the Mississippi Governer's Award for Excellence in the Arts as well as Blues Music Award winner. His nickname came from his childhood days working on his family chicken farms. He would walk around talking to them which led to friends calling him "Chikan Boy". His first musical instrument was a diddley bow. Growing up he came up with new ways to vary and improve the sounds with it. As an adult he drove a truck for a living composing his songs on long stretches on the road. After creating a body of work his friends convinced him to go to a studio to record them. He was a bit of a maverick as he didn't want to conform his style to that of his bandmates. That strong individual streak got him noticed. He is even known for making artistic handcrafted instruments that even Bill Clinton and Paul Simon are among the people who have bought his guitars.