"This release is my way of celebrating the memory of one of the most important figures in early blues and gospel - the great Blind Willie Johnson - who would have turned 125 this year.

The recording of his masterpiece "Dark was the night, cold was the ground" (recorded in my favorite recording year, 1927) can be found on the golden records onboard Voyager I and II and was added to the National Recording Registry in 2010, which selects recordings annually that are deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Although his music is often very hopeful, when you look back at his life, hope is not the first word that comes to mind.

Willie wasn't blind at birth but became blind at seven years old. Exactly how it happened is uncertain, but one statement is that his aunt accidentally threw lye in his eyes.

In his older years a fire took his house, but him being poor and blind and black he wasn't left with much else of a choice than to stay and live in the ruins of his old home.

Living in this environment gave him pneumonia which subsequently led to his death. But his beautiful music just might live forever - forever floating in space."