SEE THIS VIDEO IN HIGHER RESOLUTION AT rittman.blogspot.comWhen I read about Mr. Johnny Miller in a local Greenville, S.C. newspaper, I had to go meet him. I was really into playing the blues guitar during that time, and I had no idea that a Piedmont Blues legend lived no more than a mile from my home.\n\nThe projects where Johnny lived weren\'t far from city condemnation at that time. I pulled up in unit four, my WYFF-TV news vehicle, during a lunch break and knocked on the door. A humble yet cigar-thick voice greeted my call with hello as he opened the door.\n\nThere he was, Cootie Stark, right in front of me. Cootie was his stage name.\n\nHe invited mein before I could finish explaining my purpose.\n\nThe dark four room dwelling had painted concrete block for walls and no decoration. I guess it made sense; he\'s a guy and he\'s blind. I probably wouldn\'t decorate, either.\n\nCootie started telling me the story of his life and included things like growing up in Laurens, S.C. and pickin\' peas as a child. He spoke of traveling all the way to Greenville (about 20 miles) during the summer, and how he came to play guitar. He made mention of his relationships with Baby Tate, the Rev. Gary Davis and several other Piedmont Blues legends living in the areaaround the 40s, 50s, and 60s.\n\nGet the rest of the story at rittman.blogspot.com Beyond, Blues, Cootie, Emmy, Legend, News, Photojournalism, Piedmont, Rittman, Stark, TV, Worlds