Big Jack Johnson, affectionately known to millions around the world as "The Oil Man", dubbed for his pre-stardom day job as an Oil truck driver, is a WC Handy Award nominated blues singer, guitar and mandolin player, songwriter/musician based in Clarksdale, MS. 

Big Jack's start performing blues music was with the famed Jelly Roll Kings where his fellow band mates included Frank Frost on harp and farfisa organ and the pulse of the delta, Sam Carr (himself the son of the legendary Robert Nighthawk) on drums. This outfit has come to be known as the quintessential Mississippi blues band through only two recorded LP's as a unit; "Rockin' the Juke Joint Down" and "Look on Yonder's Wall". In fact the record company that produced that first recording (Earwig) was formed solely to capture their magic on record. The cover alone of that first LP, "Rockin'", alluded to the glorious splendor waiting once the needle hit the grooves!!! 

Since leaving the Jelly Roll Kings, Big Jack has gone on to international stardom through his tireless touring schedule and many excellent performances and blues recordings such as "The Oil Man", "Daddy, When Is Mama Coming Home?", "We Got To Stop This Killing", "Live In Chicago", "All The Way Back", the WC Handy nominated "Roots Stew" (featuring our very own Dale Wise on drums) and his latest "Memphis Bar-B-Que Sessions" (which also features special guests fellow Clarksdale native Pinetop Perkins on piano and Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds on harp) and has appeared in the documentary film "Deep Blues". 

A peerless performer, Jack, was the perfect choice to initiate the Mississippi Railroad as the first traveler, along with Terry "Harmonica" Bean. We look forward to his return soon.