The Early Wright Blues Heritage Award at the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival rarely goes to a musician.
This year, James “Super Chikan” Johnson not only won the award, but he was surprised with the honor at the main stage in Clarksdale on Saturday night.
Johnson had been told he would be presenting an award to his friend the late Josh “Razorblade” Stewart’s family.
Stewart’s family did receive an award, but Johnson did not present it. Instead, Johnson earned the 28th annual Early Wright Blues Heritage Award that goes to individuals who help support music in the area.
Wright was dedicated to the blues, a pioneer for the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival and worked for WROX.
Johnson, 67, based out of Clarksdale, traveled around the Delta as a child playing the blues.
“He travels abroad and he talks about the blues in Clarksdale,” said festival booking chair Maie Smith.
One of Johnson’s first instruments was a diddley bow. In 1964, he bought his first guitar, an acoustic model that had only two strings, from a Salvation Army store in Clarksdale.
Johnson said he took after Jimmy Reeves, “the original blues man in the Delta” and his uncle, Big Jack Johnson, got him into music.
“I was impressed by my uncle Big Jack Johnson,” Johnson said. “I got to liking it and I never did stop. I was insulted about it, but I never did stop. I was told that I sound just like a chicken because I plucked on the guitar like a chicken. I went through Robert Johnson syndrome. I never did let nothing stop me.”
He lived on several farms as a child and earned his nickname in the process.
“I used to take care of the chickens and I earned the name ‘Chikan Boy’ because I was handling the chickens and I grew into a ‘Super Chikan,’” Johnson said, adding his family did not own any farms.
“If we had a farm, I wouldn’t have been so poor.”
Smith said Johnson’s award presentation went as planned.
“He was standing up there because we told him that he was going to present the award to the family, but then I presented it and I could see the look,” she said. “He was saying, ‘Why am I here? They’re giving the award away. Why am I standing here?’ He still was just standing there.
“The ultimate surprise I really loved because, when I said what I said, the look on his face changed to a big smile. I enjoyed every moment of seeing how he goes from one extreme to another one, like, ‘Wow, they’re honoring me!’ I think he will think about that for a long time.”
Johnson said, “It was the best surprise I had in a long time. I’ve always said I wanted my flowers while I was still above the ground before I’m dead because I can’t appreciate them up over my head after I’m dead. This was one flower I got before I was gone.”
