Bukka White And Free Downloads.

I have a post here

http://bluesman2001.blogspot.com/2007/07/bukka-white-aberdeen-mississippi-blues.html?showComment=1304453433483#c6965260871156025284

It is a video of Bukka White.  His daughter Irene Kertchaval left a comment rightly angry about not only the treatment of Bukka years ago, but the continuing problems she has faced collecting royalties, and free downloading of his music.  I responded to her and left her a link to the Robert Johnson foundation which has some experience dealing with this, and has helped his decedents collect royalties.  I am not sure if she ever saw that post, but someone commented about her which set me off.  His comment below


dear irene, get a job and make a life for yourself and let people enjoy your father's music.
sincerely, dingothrust balltoontich


What set me off is that is the typical BS response that I have seen on Dozens of freeloading blues download sites. (I won't mention the biggest one by name, but you know who you are because you send a lot of hits my way everyday)  I don't understand why people who freeload off blues artists think you are helping them.  Here was my response. 

dingo



Irene has every right to be angry with people downloading music for free. Blues musicians spend years working on their songs,spending their hard earned money on studio time, and 300+ dates a year touring.  It is a rough life.  Blues performers aren't rock stars.  Most national acts tour in vans, and cars.  they don't have tour buses and rarely fly. So can you understand why blues performers and their families get angry when you download their songs without paying????   None of this is new.  African American performers were routinely screwed by record companies.  Paid a small fee when they recorded and rarely given royalties.  Their publishing rights taken away so that years later Paul McCartney, or Michael Jackson and their families could live comfortably off others hard work.  Its a great system!  Then you come along years later and steal their music thinking you are sticking it to the man, when in reality you are sticking it to the people who created the music to begin with.   


Nice Job. 


Tom 
Blues Historian




I know my rant isn't going to do any good.  I just hope one person at least comes to their senses and stop downloading our music for free.