Ike Zinnerman and His Graveyard

 

Ike Learned atop the Stones

Research and Deduction Reveal the Graveyard Ike Zinnerman practiced in.

 It has long been told that Ike ZInnerman told Robert Johnson he learned to play the guitar by sitting atop the tombstones in a graveyard.  While this seems a little creepy, and lends to the whole devil at the crossroads legend, it was more than likely just a quiet place to practice.

Read further to learn the name and location where Ike would practice, and possibly took legendary Robert Johnson to teach.

 

Recent research by Bruce Conforth, as published in a recent article of Living Blues Magazine, states that Bruce was able to successfully track down the daughter of Ike Zinnerman.  Of course, with this new found discovery comes the fact that the name is actually Zimmerman, but we will leave that for another time, as it is still being debated.

Ike’s daughter went on to say that Ike was actually not really from Hazlehurst, as believed.  Often, you will hear researchers discussing the fact that Ike was from Hazlehurst, and therefore took Johnsonson to the Hazlehurst Cemetery to learn the blues.  We know now that this is no longer the case.

It turns out Ike and his family, along with where he taught legendary Robert Johnson, was actually about ten miles south of Hazlehurst, in a town called Beauregard.  

Only Known Image of Ike Zinnerman

This is of course a major discovery.  See, Ike didn’t learn in a graveyard – he learned in graveyards.  There are several graveyards, both large and small, he practiced at in the area.  Of course, these are the same ones he would take Johnson to years later.  

Even with all of the graveyards in the area, Ike still had a favorite.  This favorite spot of his is known today as Beauregard Cemetery.  It is a larger, older cemetery to the north east of town, just off Beauregard Rd and Dickerson lane.  

However, just as a note, one should take extreme caution in trying to pinpoint one and only one practice spot for old Ike and Robert.   Practicing in a cemetery had little  to do with deals with the devil, crossroads, or any other religious belief.  They simply enjoyed the quiet of the cemetery, and quite frankly, no on would bother them there.

However, if you find yourself traveling through the area and looking to pay your respects, stop at the Beauregard Cemetery and play a song or two at night.

Click here to check it out on Google Maps.

 

 

 

 

~ by thedeltablues on May 28, 2009.