If You Could Have a Beer with Anyone in History Who Would It Be?

[Sam Flynn]

I was going to mention Django, because IMHO he was at least as good, if not better than Johnson

Django would have made an economical drinking partner. A finger-measure of spirits would have been much cheaper than usual

[GUT]

Do any of you guitar fans know Australias own Tommy Emmanuel, twice voted the World's best Accoustic guitarist by guitar magazine? A really nice bloke to boot,

[Steadmund Brand]

I love that film.....flew a bit under the radar... but maybe just because I am a guitar geek I fell in love with it

Steadmund Brand

[Abby Normal]

I have every know recording of Johnson....and it's good stuff.. but he was FAR from the best...at the same time Django Reinhardt was doing things people still cant do (and with less fingers!!!!).. I have the complete recordings of Django as well....some of it is truly mind blowing.... I know very different styles of music... but just for pure technique.. no contest.....I have been playing since I was 6 years old....I love trying to figure out what people are doing....

Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson, and Eddie Lang I also put above Robert Johnson as pure guitarists, as well as Django.. but just a personal opinion..

Steadmund Brand

Hi Stead
LOL! I was going to mention Django, because IMHO he was at least as good, if not better than Johnson. both fascinating charactors.

Tying Django in with the favorite movies-one of my favorite Woody Allen movies is Sweet and Low down where Sean Pen plays a jazz guitarist. Hes always bragging "Im the best guitarist in the world....well except for that gypsy guitar player Django Rhinehart" and he fainted when he met him. HAHA. great movie!

[Steadmund Brand]

Son house said he was mediocre at best, disappeared for a couple of weeks and when he came back was the best guitarist in the world.

I have every know recording of Johnson....and it's good stuff.. but he was FAR from the best...at the same time Django Reinhardt was doing things people still cant do (and with less fingers!!!!).. I have the complete recordings of Django as well....some of it is truly mind blowing.... I know very different styles of music... but just for pure technique.. no contest.....I have been playing since I was 6 years old....I love trying to figure out what people are doing....

Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson, and Eddie Lang I also put above Robert Johnson as pure guitarists, as well as Django.. but just a personal opinion..

Steadmund Brand

[Abby Normal]

Hello Graham,

I am sure you know the stories surrounding Johnson and how he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his guitar prowess as well as his alleged poisoning by a jealous lover.

c.d.

Son house said he was mediocre at best, disappeared for a couple of weeks and when he came back was the best guitarist in the world.

[c.d.]

Hello Sam,

If you go to Google there is a magazine called "Modern Drunkard" which you can peruse online. Each issue has an article on one of history's most famous drinkers detailing not only what they drank but the amounts. Truly amazing accounts.

c.d.

[c.d.]

Agreed, but the question was "If you could have a beer...?" Somehow, I doubt that The Hitch would have stopped at "a" beer (It would have to be Johnny Walker Black Label, in any case, and many of them!)

Agreed. But for Hitchens it would have to be a few kegs of beer. His book "Mortality" is probably next up on my reading list.

c.d.

[c.d.]

And of course Hunter Thompson. There is a story of one of Thompson's fans who begged him to let him spend a weekend together so he could experience Thompson's lifestyle and do everything that Thompson did. The story goes that Thompson drove him to the airport Sunday evening after a typical Thompson weekend together. The poor guy was covered in sweat, filth and vomit and mumbling incoherently. Thompson opened the car door and kicked him to the curb. As he drove off, Thomson was heard to yell "lightweight."

c.d.

[Mayerling]

Only after he and Stan had to drag it up a long flight of steps. Might be time for a beer instead of tea then. At least Mozart would be less likely to smash the thing up.

I'd like the image of Stan and Babe first dragging the "music box" up the stairs, but only if Billy Gilbert is coming down the stairs and starts kicking up a fuss about his dignity and them getting out of his way.

My own choice for having a drink of beer or stout or bourbon or whisky would probably be Mark Twain. I would love to hear his stories and his use of words.

Jeff

[Sam Flynn]

How could I possibly have forgotten Christopher Hitchens? To me, Hitch was absolutely brilliant.

Agreed, but the question was "If you could have a beer...?" Somehow, I doubt that The Hitch would have stopped at "a" beer (It would have to be Johnny Walker Black Label, in any case, and many of them!)

[c.d.]

How could I possibly have forgotten Christopher Hitchens? To me, Hitch was absolutely brilliant.

c.d.

[Abby Normal]

"I say, I say, I say! What is Donald Swanson's favourite drink"?

"I don't know, what is Donald Swanson's favourite drink?"

"Margin Ale!"

now that's witty

[Sam Flynn]

Donald Sutherland Swanson. And get him really drunk...

"I say, I say, I say! What is Donald Swanson's favourite drink"?

"I don't know, what is Donald Swanson's favourite drink?"

"Margin Ale!"

[Svensson]

Donald Sutherland Swanson. And get him really drunk...