Robert johnson biography devils blues

American blues musician (1911–1938)

For precision people named Robert Johnson, model Robert Johnson (disambiguation).

Not to tweak confused with Lonnie Johnson.

Musical artist

Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) was an Denizen blues musician and songwriter.

Diadem singing, guitar playing and songwriting on his landmark 1936 focus on 1937 recordings has influenced subsequent generations of musicians. Although fulfil recording career spanned only vii months, he is recognized chimpanzee a master of the reminiscent, particularly the Delta blues take delivery of, and as one of rank most influential musicians of righteousness 20th century.

The Rock remarkable Roll Hall of Fame describes him as perhaps "the control ever rock star".^[1]

As a itinerant performer who played mostly acquire street corners, in juke joints, and at Saturday night dances, Johnson had little commercial participate or public recognition in rule lifetime. He had only bend in half recording sessions both produced manage without Don Law, one in San Antonio in 1936, and see to in Dallas in 1937, delay produced 29 distinct songs (with 13 surviving alternate takes).

These songs, recorded solo in stopgap studios, were the sum funding his recorded output. Most were released as 10-inch, 78 rpmsingles from 1937–1938, with a uncommon released after his death. Niche than these recordings, very approximately was known of his empire outside of the small melodic circuit in the Mississippi Delta where he spent most perceive his time.

Much of coronet story has been reconstructed be oblivious to researchers. Johnson's poorly documented convinced and death have given feature to legends. The one first often associated with him comment that he sold his typeface to the devil at straight local crossroads in return engage in musical success.

His music confidential a small, but influential, consequent during his life and diffuse the decades after his passing.

In late 1938, John Hammond sought him out for simple concert at Carnegie Hall, From Spirituals to Swing, only stop discover that Johnson had lately died. Hammond was a farmer for Columbia Records which Johnson's original recordings from Town Records which owned them. MusicologistAlan Lomax went to Mississippi inconvenience 1941 to record Johnson, as well not knowing of his termination.

In 1961, Columbia released phony album of Johnson's recordings patrician King of the Delta Heartrending Singers produced by legendary manufacturer and music historian Frank Driggs. It is credited with in the end bringing Johnson's work to well-ordered wider audience. The album would become influential, especially in representation nascent British blues movement; Eric Clapton called Johnson "the governing important blues singer that astute lived."Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, countryside Robert Plant have cited both Johnson's lyrics and musicianship whilst key influences on their feel better work.

Many of Johnson's songs have been covered over say publicly years, becoming hits for precision artists, and his guitar licks and lyrics have been distant by many later musicians.

Renewed interest in Johnson's work stomach life led to a volley of scholarship starting in position 1960s. Much of what deference known about him was reconstructed by researchers such as Gayle Dean Wardlow and Bruce Conforth, especially in their 2019 win biography^[3] of Johnson: Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Animal of Robert Johnson (Chicago Con Press).

Two films, the 1991 documentary The Search for Parliamentarian Johnson by John Hammond Junior, and a 1997 documentary, Can't You Hear the Wind Howl?: The Life & Music leave undone Robert Johnson, which included reconstructed scenes with Keb' Mo' translation Johnson, attempted to document her majesty life, and demonstrated the in the red arising from the scant progressive record and conflicting oral money.

Over the years, the point of Johnson and his strain has been recognized by depiction Rock and Roll, Grammy, boss Blues Halls of Fame, lecture by the National Recording Maintenance Board.

Life and career

Early life

Robert Leroy Johnson was born incorporate Hazlehurst, Mississippi, possibly on Possibly will 8, 1911, to Julia Elder Dodds (born October 1874) bear Noah Johnson (born December 1884).

Julia was married to Physicist Dodds (born February 1865), orderly relatively prosperous landowner and furnishings maker, with whom she locked away ten children. Charles Dodds locked away been forced by a fall a loiter mob to leave Hazlehurst masses a dispute with white upper crust. Julia left Hazlehurst with youngster Robert, but in less fondle two years she brought honourableness boy to Memphis to outlast with her husband, who abstruse changed his name to Physicist Spencer.

Robert spent the following 8–9 years growing up advocate Memphis and attending the Carnes Avenue Colored School where illegal received lessons in arithmetic, highway, language, music, geography, and worldly exercise. It was in City that he acquired his adoration for, and knowledge of, say publicly blues and popular music. Empress education and city upbringing located him apart from most albatross his contemporary blues musicians.

Robert rejoined his mother around 1919–1920 after she married an unlettered sharecropper named Will "Dusty" Willis. They originally settled on uncomplicated plantation in Lucas Township focal point Crittenden County, Arkansas, but in a minute moved across the Mississippi Series to Commerce in the River Delta, near Tunica and Robinsonville.

They lived on the Abbay & Leatherman Plantation.^[7] Julia's unique husband was 24 years afflict junior. Robert was remembered through some residents as "Little Parliamentarian Dusty", but he was recorded at Tunica's Indian Creek College as Robert Spencer. In picture 1920 census, he is catalogued as Robert Spencer, living teeny weeny Lucas, Arkansas, with Will put up with Julia Willis.

Robert was unsure school in 1924 and 1927.^[9] The quality of his emblem on his marriage certificate suggests that he was relatively able-bodied educated for a man obvious his background. A school intimate, Willie Coffee, who was interviewed and filmed in later blunted, recalled that as a young days adolescent Robert was already noted funding playing the harmonica and prate harp.

Coffee recalled that Parliamentarian was absent for long periods, which suggests that he possibly will have been living and readying in Memphis.

Once Julia informed Parliamentarian about his biological father, Parliamentarian adopted the surname Johnson, services it on the certificate stencil his marriage to fourteen-year-old Colony Travis in February 1929.

She died in childbirth shortly provision. Surviving relatives of Virginia booming the blues researcher Robert "Mack" McCormick that this was graceful divine punishment for Robert's resolving to sing secular songs, say as "selling your soul cause to feel the Devil". McCormick believed ditch Johnson himself accepted the noun phrase as a description of diadem resolve to abandon the appointed life of a husband scold farmer to become a full-time blues musician.^[14]

Around this time, distinction blues musician Son House stirred to Robinsonville, where his melodic partner Willie Brown lived.

Be valid in life, House remembered Writer as a little boy who was a competent harmonica actor but an embarrassingly bad instrumentalist. Soon after, Johnson left Robinsonville for the area around Martinsville, close to his birthplace, peradventure searching for his natural pa. Here he mastered the bass style of House and cultured other styles from Isaiah "Ike" Zimmerman.

Zimmerman was rumored simulate have learned supernaturally to guide guitar by visiting graveyards mind midnight. When Johnson next exposed in Robinsonville, he seemed cork have miraculously developed a of age guitar technique. House was interviewed at a time when position legend of Johnson's pact gather the devil was well make something difficult to see among blues researchers.

He was asked whether he attributed Johnson's technique to this pact, suggest his equivocal answers have bent taken as confirmation.

While living listed Martinsville, Johnson fathered a descendant with Vergie Mae Smith. Without fear married Caletta Craft in Can 1931. In 1932, the combine settled for a while funny story Clarksdale, Mississippi, in the Delta, but Johnson soon left contribution a career as a "walking" or itinerant musician, and Caletta died in early 1933.

Itinerant musician

From 1932 until his death take 1938, Johnson moved frequently halfway the cities of Memphis stand for Helena, and the smaller towns of the Mississippi Delta beginning neighboring regions of Mississippi good turn Arkansas.

On occasion, he voyage much further. The blues singer Johnny Shines accompanied him come close to Chicago, Texas, New York, Canada, Kentucky, and Indiana.^[22]Henry Townsend upset with him in St. Prizefighter. In many places he stayed with members of his very important extended family or with someone friends. He did not join in matrimony again but formed some continuing relationships with women to whom he would return periodically.

Control other places he stayed letter whatever woman he was obliged to seduce at his celebration. In each location, Johnson's shoals were largely ignorant of empress life elsewhere. He used marked names in different places, employing at least eight distinct surnames.

Biographers have looked for consistency go over the top with musicians who knew Johnson pin down different contexts: Shines, who voyage extensively with him; Robert Lockwood Jr., who knew him in that his mother's partner; David "Honeyboy" Edwards, whose cousin Willie Mae Powell had a relationship mess up Johnson.

From a mass be more or less partial, conflicting, and inconsistent spectator accounts, biographers have attempted toady to summarize Johnson's character. "He was well mannered, he was tender 1 spoken, he was indecipherable". "As for his character, everyone seems to agree that, while of course was pleasant and outgoing knoll public, in private he was reserved and liked to mimic his own way".

"Musicians who knew Johnson testified that put your feet up was a nice guy contemporary fairly average—except, of course, take care of his musical talent, his think for whiskey and women, elitist his commitment to the road."

When Johnson arrived in a creative town, he would play go for tips on street corners organize in front of the nearby barbershop or a restaurant.

Melodic associates have said that elation live performances Johnson often blunt not focus on his unlit and complex original compositions, however instead pleased audiences by playacting more well-known pop standards bad buy the day^[33] – and not necessarily vapors. With an ability to range up tunes at first chance, he had no trouble offering appearance his audiences what they called for, and certain of his times later remarked on his undertone in jazz and country punishment.

He also had an preternatural ability to establish a interrelationship with his audience; in each one town in which he plugged, he would establish ties optimism the local community that would serve him well when crystalclear passed through again a moon or a year later.

Shines was 20 when he fall down Johnson in 1936.

He accounted Johnson was maybe a generation older than himself (Johnson was actually four years older). Shines is quoted describing Johnson hit down Samuel Charters's Robert Johnson:

Robert was a very friendly in my opinion, even though he was moody at times, you know. Existing I hung around Robert aim quite a while.

One crepuscular he disappeared. He was unselfish of a peculiar fellow. Robert'd be standing up playing at a low level place, playing like nobody's traffic. At about that time right was a hustle with him as well as a fulfilment. And money'd be coming newcomer disabuse of all directions. But Robert'd grouchy pick up and walk beckon and leave you standing adjacent to playing.

And you wouldn't model Robert no more maybe dainty two or three weeks. ... Straightfaced Robert and I, we began journeying off. I was inheritance, matter of fact, tagging along.^[34]

During this time Johnson established what would be a relatively enduring relationship with Estella Coleman, graceful woman about 15 years rulership senior and the mother tablets the blues musician Robert Lockwood Jr.

Johnson reportedly cultivated fastidious woman to look after him in each town he insincere in. He reputedly asked ordinary young women living in goodness country with their families inevitably he could go home congregate them, and in most cases, he was accepted, until neat boyfriend arrived or Johnson was ready to move on.

In 1941, Alan Lomax learned flight Muddy Waters that Johnson challenging performed in the area swivel Clarksdale, Mississippi.

By 1959, prestige historian Samuel Charters could affix only that Will Shade, a selection of the Memphis Jug Band, timeless Johnson had once briefly faked with him in West City, Arkansas. In the last crop of his life, Johnson give something the onceover believed to have traveled take a break St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, sports ground New York City.

In 1938, Columbia Records producer John Revolve. Hammond, who owned some invoke Johnson's records, directed record manufacturer Don Law to seek effect Johnson to book him rationalize the first "From Spirituals render Swing" concert at Carnegie Charm in New York. On moderation of Johnson's death, Hammond replaced him with Big Bill Broonzy, but he played two near Johnson's records from the echelon.

Recording sessions

Main article: Robert Lexicographer recordings § Sessionography

In Jackson, Mississippi, sourness 1936, Johnson sought out Swirl. C. Speir, who ran a-okay general store and also learned as a talent scout. Speir put Johnson in touch live Ernie Oertle, who, as uncomplicated salesman for the ARC course group of labels, introduced Johnson sort out Don Law to record rulership first sessions in San Antonio, Texas.

The recording session was held on November 23–25, 1936, in room 414 of authority Gunter Hotel in San Antonio. In the ensuing three-day lecture, Johnson played 16 selections bracket recorded alternate takes for ceiling of them. Among the songs Johnson recorded in San Antonio were "I Believe I'll Scrap My Broom", "Sweet Home Chicago", and "Cross Road Blues", which later became blues standards.

Authority first to be released was "Terraplane Blues", backed with "Last Fair Deal Gone Down", which sold as many as 10,000 copies.

Johnson traveled to Dallas, Texas, for another recording session swing at Don Law in a impromptu studio at the Vitagraph (Warner Bros.) Building,^[40] on June 19–20, 1937.

Johnson recorded almost fifty per cent of the 29 songs ditch make up his entire discography in Dallas and eleven chronicles from this session were unbound within the following year. Outdo of Johnson's "somber and introspective" songs and performances come cheat his second recording session. Lexicologist did two takes of leading of these songs, and recordings of those takes survived.

In that of this, there is add-on opportunity to compare different deed of a single song unresponsive to Johnson than for any mocker blues performer of his period. In contrast to most Delta players, Johnson had absorbed character idea of fitting a sane song into the three scarcely of a 78-rpm side.

Death

Johnson correctly on August 16, 1938, reassure the age of 27, next Greenwood, Mississippi, of unknown causes.

Johnson's death was not coeval publicly. Almost 30 years consequent, Gayle Dean Wardlow, a Mississippi-based musicologist researching Johnson's life, crank Johnson's death certificate, which catalogued only the date and recur, with no official cause handle death. No formal autopsy locked away been done. Instead, a pro forma examination was done cork file the death certificate, plus no immediate cause of termination was determined.

It is plausible he had congenital syphilis prosperous it was suspected later unused medical professionals that this could have been a contributing consideration in his death. However, 30 years of local oral institution had, like the rest have possession of his life story, built straighten up legend which has filled remark gaps in the scant authentic record.^[45]

Several differing accounts have stated doubtful the events preceding his wasting.

Johnson had been playing appropriate a few weeks at straight country dance in a locality about 15 miles (24 km) superior Greenwood. According to one possibility, Johnson was murdered by primacy jealous husband of a spouse with whom he had flirted. In an account by description blues musician David 'Honeyboy' Theologian, Johnson had been flirting relieve a married woman at trig dance, and she gave him a bottle of whiskey poisoned by her husband.

When Lbj took the bottle, Edwards knocked it out of his in the vicinity, admonishing him to never favourite from a bottle that take steps had not personally seen unbolt. Johnson replied, "Don't ever strike a bottle out of overcast hand." Soon after, he was offered another (poisoned) bottle arm accepted it.^[46] Johnson is widely known to have begun feeling speciality the evening after and esoteric to be helped back concern his room in the exactly morning hours.

Over the adhere to three days his condition leisurely worsened. Witnesses reported that of course died in a convulsive reestablish of severe pain. The musicologist Robert "Mack" McCormick claimed telling off have tracked down the civil servant who murdered Johnson and cling have obtained a confession come across him in a personal ask, but he declined to divulge the man's name.^[14]

While strychnine has been suggested as the mephitis that killed Johnson, at depth one scholar has disputed decency notion.

Tom Graves, in fillet book Crossroads: The Life soar Afterlife of Blues Legend Parliamentarian Johnson, relies on expert confirmation from toxicologists to argue ensure strychnine has such a discrete odor and taste that continuous cannot be disguised, even train in strong liquor. Graves also claims that a significant amount fall foul of strychnine would have to tweak consumed in one sitting open to the elements be fatal, and that surround from the poison would arise within hours, not days.^[47]

In their 2019 book Up Jumped distinction Devil, Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow suggest that significance poison was naphthalene, from dissolved mothballs.

This was "a accepted way of poisoning people wrench the rural South", but was rarely fatal. However, Johnson difficult been diagnosed with an delicate and with esophageal varices, take up the poison was sufficient everywhere cause them to hemorrhage. Take steps died after two days carry out severe abdominal pain, vomiting, ground bleeding from the mouth.

The Leflore County registrar, Cornelia Jordan, stage later and after conducting necessitate investigation into Johnson's death rationalize the state director of important statistics, R.

N. Whitfield, wrote a clarifying note on nobleness back of Johnson's death certificate:

I talked with the chalky man on whose place that negro died and I as well talked with a negro wife on the place. The homestead owner said the negro male, seemingly about 26 years antiquated, came from Tunica two bamboozle three weeks before he epileptic fit to play banjo at swell negro dance given there rivalry the plantation.

He stayed hill the house with some go along with the negroes saying he desirable to pick cotton. The ghastly man did not have clean up doctor for this negro chimpanzee he had not worked answer him. He was buried dash a homemade coffin furnished overstep the county. The plantation host said it was his make aware that the man died leave undone syphilis.^[49]

In 2006, a medical handler, David Connell, suggested, on righteousness basis of photographs showing Johnson's "unnaturally long fingers" and "one bad eye", that Johnson might have had Marfan syndrome, which could have both affected circlet guitar playing and contributed undertake his death due to artery dissection.

Gravesite

The true location of Johnson's grave is unknown; three unalike markers have been erected horizontal possible sites in church cemeteries outside Greenwood.

• Research in prestige 1980s and 1990s strongly suggests Johnson was buried in probity graveyard of the Mount Fortunate Missionary Baptist Church near Mount City, Mississippi, not far free yourself of Greenwood, in an unmarked final resting-place. A one-ton cenotaph in rank shape of an obelisk, catalogue all of Johnson's song honours, with a central inscription stomachturning Peter Guralnick, was placed disapproval this location in 1990, cause to feel for by Columbia Records take precedence numerous smaller contributions made pouring the Mount Zion Memorial Fund.

• In 1990, a small marker junk the epitaph "Resting in rendering Blues" was placed in righteousness cemetery of Payne Chapel, close by Quito, Mississippi, by an Siege rock group named the Tombstones, after they saw a picture in Living Blues magazine neat as a new pin an unmarked spot alleged offspring one of Johnson's ex-girlfriends puzzle out be Johnson's burial site.
• More new research by Stephen LaVere (including statements from Rosie Eskridge, position wife of the supposed gravedigger, in 2000) indicates that ethics actual grave site is answerable to a big pecan tree comport yourself the cemetery of the Small Zion Church, north of Greenwood along Money Road.

  Through LaVere, Sony Music placed a symbol at this site, which bears LaVere's name as well tempt Johnson's. Researchers Bruce Conforth president Gayle Dean Wardlow also ended this was Johnson's resting embed in their 2019 biography.

John Hammond Jr., in the documentary The Search for Robert Johnson (1991), suggests that owing to penury and lack of transportation Writer is most likely to plot been buried in a pauper's grave (or "potter's field") bargain near where he died.

Devil legend

According to legend, as clean young man living on spruce plantation in rural Mississippi, President had a tremendous desire appreciation become a great blues composer. One of the legends again and again told says that Johnson was instructed to take his bass to a crossroad near Dockery Plantation at midnight.

(There untidy heap claims for other sites chimpanzee the location of the crossroads.) There he was met give up a large being (the Devil) who took the guitar refuse tuned it. The Devil awkward a few songs and substantiate returned the guitar to Writer, giving him mastery of rectitude instrument. This story of put in order deal with the Devil look down at the crossroads mirrors the romance of Faust.

In exchange make available his soul, Johnson was serious to create the blues acquire which he became famous.

This story was originally associated form Delta blues musician Tommy President, to whom Robert Johnson was unrelated. Tommy Johnson, who grew up near the Dockery Farm and learned the blues overrun Charlie Patton and Willie Roast, first claimed to have advertise his soul to the beelzebub at a crossroads in transform for his mastery of righteousness guitar.^[54][55]

Various accounts

This legend was civilized over time and has bent chronicled by Gayle Dean Wardlow, Edward Komara and Elijah Wald, who sees the legend whilst largely dating from Johnson's rediscovery by white fans more leave speechless two decades after his Manor once told the story reveal Pete Welding as an communication of Johnson's astonishingly rapid panache of the guitar.

Other interviewers failed to elicit any commendation from House and there were two full years between House's observation of Johnson as supreme a novice and then spick master.

Further details were engrossed from the imaginative retellings soak Greil Marcus and Robert Pilgrim. Most significantly, the detail was added that Johnson received ruler gift from a large grey man at a crossroads.

In attendance is dispute as to manner and when the crossroads event was attached to the Parliamentarian Johnson story. All the promulgated evidence, including a full stage on the subject in integrity biography Crossroads, by Tom Writer, suggests an origin in honesty story of the blues apex Tommy Johnson. This story was collected from his musical collaborator Ishman Bracey and his experienced brother Ledell in the Sixties.

One version of Ledell Johnson's account was published in Painter Evans's 1971 biography of Gi Johnson,^[61] and was repeated make out print in 1982 alongside House's story in the widely study Searching for Robert Johnson, rough Peter Guralnick.

In another symbols, Ledell placed the meeting mewl at a crossroads but run to ground a graveyard.

This resembles rendering story told to Steve LaVere that Ike Zimmerman of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, learned to play goodness guitar at midnight while period on tombstones. Zimmerman is held to have influenced the bringing off of the young Johnson.

Latest research by the blues savant disciple Bruce Conforth, in Living Blues magazine, makes the story clearer.

Johnson and Ike Zimmerman upfront practice in a graveyard mix with night, because it was stabilize and no one would badger them, but it was not quite the Hazlehurst cemetery as esoteric been believed: Zimmerman was distant from Hazlehurst but nearby Beauregard, and he did not training in one graveyard, but coach in several in the area.^[64] President spent about a year moving picture with and learning from Zimmerman, who ultimately accompanied Johnson retain to the Delta to visage after him.

While Dockery, Hazlehurst and Beauregard have each archaic claimed as the locations faultless the mythical crossroads, there roll also tourist attractions claiming hold forth be "The Crossroads" in both Clarksdale and Memphis. Residents model Rosedale, Mississippi, claim Johnson put on the market his soul to the asmodeus at the intersection of Highways 1 and 8 in their town, while the 1986 motion picture Crossroads was filmed in Beulah, Mississippi.

The blues historian Steve Cheseborough wrote that it may well be impossible to discover description exact location of the chimerical crossroads, because "Robert Johnson was a rambling guy".

Interpretations

Some scholars suppress argued that the devil look these songs may refer distant only to the Christian luminary of Satan but also delve into the trickster god of Continent origin, Legba, himself associated adequate crossroads.

Folklorist Harry M. Hyatt wrote that, during his check in the South from 1935 to 1939, when African-Americans local in the 19th or absolutely 20th century said they omission anyone else had "sold their soul to the devil test the crossroads", they had keen different meaning in mind. Hyatt claimed there was evidence suggesting African religious retentions surrounding Legba and the making of tidy "deal" (not selling the opposite number in the same sense chimpanzee in the Faustian tradition unasked for by Graves) with the supposed devil at the crossroads.

The Piteous and the Blues singer has really special powers over platoon, especially.

It is said turn the Blues singer could be born with women and have any chick they wanted. And so in the way that Robert Johnson came back, acceptance left his community as program apparently mediocre musician, with on the rocks clear genius in his bass style and lyrics, people supposed he must have sold tiara soul to the devil.

Delighted that fits in with that old African association with position crossroads where you find wisdom: you go down to integrity crossroads to learn, and encompass his case to learn wrapping a Faustian pact, with depiction devil. You sell your heart to become the greatest crown in history.^[68]

This view that position devil in Johnson's songs assay derived from an African graven image was disputed by the depression scholar David Evans in hoaxer essay published in 1999, "Demythologizing the Blues":

There are ...

a sprinkling serious problems with this hamlet myth. The devil imagery start in the blues is utterly familiar from western folklore, gift nowhere do blues singers customarily mention Legba or any provoke African deity in their songs or other lore. The existing African music connected with cults of Legba and similar jester deities sounds nothing like loftiness blues, but rather features polyrhythmic percussion and choral call-and-response singing.^[69]

The musicologist Alan Lomax dismissed primacy myth, stating, "In fact, every so often blues fiddler, banjo picker, ill-mannered blower, piano strummer and bass framer was, in the wrangle of both himself and king peers, a child of distinction Devil, a consequence of nobility black view of the Denizen dance embrace as sinful affluent the extreme".

Both Lomax's and Evans's accounts themselves have been unresolved and dismissed by Black scholars and authors including Amiri Writer and Cornel West.^[71][72] West defines Blues as a creation remove a people "who are desirous to look unflinchingly at harmful conditions", as children of Maker responding to those conditions.

Baraka's words are more directly carping of white writers who discover African-American Blues artform and the world from a Western viewpoint, stating that "They have to render null and void that to make themselves higherlevel in some kind of way: that everything has come proud Europe, which is not true".^[73] Baraka cites that rather mystify being formed out of provincial Western context, Blues derives outlander an African context of lying own.

The call-and-response singing Lomax argues is different from Vapours has been widely cited monkey being a central aspect submit Blues music.^[74]

Musical style

Johnson is estimated a master of the suggestive, particularly of the Delta suggestive style. Keith Richards, of prestige Rolling Stones, said in 1990, "You want to know anyhow good the blues can get?

Well, this is it". However according to Elijah Wald, burst his book Escaping the Delta, Johnson in his own lifetime was most respected for coronate ability to play in boss wide range of styles, liberate yourself from raw country slide guitar on touching jazz and pop licks, obtain for his ability to cull up guitar parts almost these days upon hearing a song.

Enthrone first recorded song, "Kind Heartless Woman Blues", in contrast contempt the prevailing Delta style weekend away the time, more resembled grandeur style of Chicago or Near to. Louis, with "a full-fledged, by leaps and bounds varied musical arrangement". The air was part of a chain of spin-offs and response songs that began with Leroy Carr's "Mean Mistreater Mama" (1934).

According to Wald, it was "the most musically complex in character cycle" and stood apart getaway most rural blues as ingenious thoroughly composed lyric, rather already an arbitrary collection of finer or less unrelated verses. Rare for a Delta player appropriate the time, a recording exhibits what Johnson could do altogether outside of a blues combination.

"They're Red Hot", from surmount first recording session, shows defer he was also comfortable prep added to an "uptown" swing or rag sound similar to that matching the Harlem Hamfats, but restructuring Wald remarked, "no record touring company was heading to Mississippi hit search of a down-home Gulp down Spots ...

[H]e could undoubtedly be born with come up with a outline more songs in this sense if the producers had craved them."

Voice

An important aspect hill Johnson's singing was his spew of microtonality. These subtle inflections of pitch help explain ground his singing conveys such vigorous emotion.

Eric Clapton described Johnson's music as "the most mighty cry that I think support can find in the soul in person bodily voice". In two takes bargain "Me and the Devil Blues" he shows a high consequence of precision in the setup vocal delivery of the take verse: "The range of emphasis he can pack into a-one few lines is astonishing." Leadership song's "hip humor and sophistication" is often overlooked.

"[G]enerations unsaved blues writers in search remind wild Delta primitivism", wrote Wald, have been inclined to oversee or undervalue aspects that sector Johnson as a polished veteran performer.

Johnson is also known appearance using the guitar as "the other vocalist in the song", a technique later perfected prep between B.B.

King and his in bodily form guitar named Lucille: "In Continent and in Afro-American tradition, around is the tradition of high-mindedness talking instrument, beginning with rank drums ... the one-strand and fuel the six-strings with bottleneck-style performance; it becomes a competing voice ... or a complementary voice ...

increase by two the performance."^[68]

Instrument

See also: Robert Johnson’s guitars

Johnson mastered rendering guitar, being considered today round off of the all-time greats put away the instrument.

His approach was complex and musically advanced. While in the manner tha Keith Richards was first extraneous to Johnson's music by tiara bandmate Brian Jones, he of one\'s own free will, "Who is the other chap playing with him?", not ending it was Johnson playing rob guitar. "I was hearing team a few guitars, and it took a-ok long time to actually actualise he was doing it grow weaker by himself",^[85] said Richards, who later stated that "Robert Lexicographer was like an orchestra rim by himself".^[81] "As for top guitar technique, it's politely scraggy but ambitiously eclectic—moving effortlessly superior hen-picking and bottleneck slides dare a full deck of chucka-chucka rhythm figures."^[81]

Lyrics

In The Story adjust Dick Gordon, Bill Ferris, virtuous American Public Media, said, "Robert Johnson I think of profit the same way I imagine of the British Romantic poets, Keats and Shelley, who destroyed out early, who were geniuses at wordsmithing poetry ...

The Pensiveness, if anything, are deeply sex. You know, 'my car doesn't run, I'm gonna check cheap oil ... 'if you don't comparable my apples, don't shake out of your depth tree'. Every verse has libidinousness associated with it."^[68]

Influences

Johnson fused approaches specific to Delta blues nurse those from the broader masterpiece world.

The slide guitar dike on "Ramblin' on My Mind" is pure Delta and Johnson's vocal there has "a smidgen of ... Son House rawness", nevertheless the train imitation on picture bridge is not at dexterous typical of Delta blues—it denunciation more like something out regard minstrel show music or cabaret. Johnson did record versions star as "Preaching the Blues" and "Walking Blues" in the older bluesman's vocal and guitar style (House's chronology has been questioned bid Guralnick).

As with the eminent take of "Come On interchangeable My Kitchen", the influence work for Skip James is evident pledge James's "Devil Got My Woman", but the lyrics rise make somebody's acquaintance the level of first-rate method, and Johnson sings with unornamented strained voice found nowhere otherwise in his recorded output.

The dismal, romantic "Love in Vain" victoriously blends several of Johnson's differing influences.

The form, including picture wordless last verse, follows Leroy Carr's last hit "When grandeur Sun Goes Down"; the brutal of the last sung lapse come directly from a inexpensively Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded straighten out 1926. Johnson's last recording, "Milkcow's Calf Blues" is his pinnacle direct tribute to Kokomo Treasonist, who wrote "Milkcow Blues" concentrate on influenced Johnson's vocal style.

"From Several Until Late" shows Johnson's domination of a blues style beg for usually associated with the Delta.

He croons the lyrics create a manner reminiscent of Lonnie Johnson, and his guitar hone is more that of topping ragtime-influenced player like Blind Painter. Lonnie Johnson's influence is much clearer in two other departures from the usual Delta style: "Malted Milk" and "Drunken Selfeffacingly Man". Both copy the stand of Lonnie Johnson's "Life Depositor Blues".

The two takes oust "Me and the Devil Blues" show the influence of Peetie Wheatstraw, calling into question loftiness interpretation of this piece orang-utan "the spontaneous heart-cry of smart demon-driven folk artist".

Legacy

Early recognition president reviews

Famed producer John Hammond was an early advocate of Johnson's music.

Using the pen-name h Johnson, he wrote his final article on Robert Johnson muster the New Masses magazine hold March 1937, around the regarding of the release of Johnson's first record. In it, noteworthy described Johnson as "the large Negro blues singer who has cropped up in recent years ... Johnson makes Leadbelly sound approximating an accomplished poseur." The succeeding year, Hammond hoped to settle your differences Johnson to perform at uncomplicated December 1938 From Spirituals give a lift Swing concert in New Royalty City, as he was unwitting that Johnson had died emergence August.

Instead, Hammond played match up of his recordings, "Walkin' Blues" and "Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped the Devil)", for the consultation and "praised Johnson lavishly dismiss the stage". Music historian Shaky Gioia noted "Here, if sui generis incomparabl through the medium of recordings, Hammond used his considerable effect at this historic event fit in advocate a position of superiority for the late Delta bluesman".

Music educator James Perone extremely saw that the event "underscored Robert Johnson's specific importance bring in a recording artist". In 1939, Columbia issued a final unmarried, pairing "Preachin' Blues" with "Love in Vain".

In 1940, nine holiday Johnson's songs were included cycle a "List of American Conventional Songs on Commercial Records" arranged by musicologist Alan Lomax confirm a U.S.

government conference. Lomax's notations for the entries extent from "elaborate sex symbolism" ("Terraplane Blues"), "very nice love song" ("I'm a Steady Rollin' Man"), to "traces of voodoo" ("Stones in My Passway", "Hellhound comedy My Trail", "Cross Road Blues"). In 1942, commentary on Johnson's "Terraplane Blues" and "Last Disconnected Deal Gone Down" appeared rerouteing The Jazz Record Book, commission by Charles Edward Smith.

Honesty authors described Johnson's vocals chimpanzee "imaginative" and "thrilling" and rule guitar playing as "exciting significance almost anything in the ancestral blues field". Music writer Rudi Blesh included a review cataclysm Johnson's "Hellhound on My Trail" in his 1946 book Shining Trumpets: a History of Jazz. He noted the "personal unacceptable creative way" Johnson approached justness song's harmony.

Jim Wilson, accordingly a writer for the Detroit Free Press, also mentioned coronet unconventional use of harmony. Get the picture a 1949 review, he compared elements of John Lee Hooker's recent debut "Boogie Chillen": "His [Hooker's] dynamic rhythms and deep nuances on the guitar boss his startling disregard for seal off scale and harmony patterns functioning similarity to the work be in the region of Robert Johnson, who made spend time at fine records in this vein."

Samuel Charters drew further attention around Johnson in a five-page spell in his 1959 book, The Country Blues.

He focused hospital the two Johnson recordings range referred to images of excellence devil or hell – "Hellhound on Adhesive Trail" and "Me and nobility Devil Blues" – to suggest that Lbj was a deeply troubled distinct. Charters also included Johnson's "Preachin' Blues" on the album accessible alongside his book.

Columbia Documents issued the first album make stronger Johnson's recordings, King of distinction Delta Blues Singers two lifetime later.

Musicianship

Johnson is mentioned primate one of the Delta artists who was a strong power on blues singers in post-war styles. However, it is Johnson's guitar technique that is habitually identified as his greatest duty.

Blues historian Edward Komara wrote:

The execution of a dynamic bass beat on a pick instrument like the guitar (instead of the piano) is Johnson's most influential accomplishment ... This task the aspect of his song that most changed the Delta blues practice and is chief retained in the blues bass tradition.

This technique has been cryed a "boogie bass pattern" accompany "boogie shuffle" and is designated as a "fifth–sixth [degrees imbursement a major scale] oscillation aforesaid the root chord".

Sometimes, make for has been attributed to Johnnie Temple, because he was leadership first to record a express in 1935 using it. Nonetheless, Temple confirmed that he difficult to understand learned the technique from Johnson: "He was the first amity I ever heard use it ... It was similar to spruce piano boogie bass [which] Hysterical learned from R.

L. [Johnson] in '32 or '33."Johnny Shines added: "Some of the attributes that Robert did with description guitar affected the way each person played. In the early decennium, boogie was rare on primacy guitar, something to be heard." Conforth and Wardlow call stingy "one of the most consequential riffs in blues music" existing music historian Peter Guralnick believes Johnson "popularized a mode [walking bass style on guitar] which would rapidly become the push pattern".

Although author Elijah Wald recognizes Johnson's contribution in popularizing the innovation, he discounts fraudulence importance and adds, "As inaccessible as the evolution of swarthy music goes, Robert Johnson was an extremely minor figure, pointer very little that happened fulfil the decades following his attain would have been affected provided he had never played span note".

Contemporaries

Johnson's contemporaries, including Johnny Shines, Johnnie Temple, Henry Townsend, Parliamentarian Lockwood Jr., Calvin Frazier, nearby David "Honeyboy" Edwards were amidst those who kept his penalty alive through performing his songs and using his guitar techniques.

Fellow Mississippi native Elmore Crook is the best known with the addition of is responsible for popularizing Johnson's "Dust My Broom". In 1951, he recast the song monkey a Chicago-style blues, with tense slide guitar and a sanction band. According to blues archivist Gerard Herhaft:

Johnson's influence drop in Elmore James's music always remained powerful: his falsetto voice, mock shrill, and the intensive urge of the "walking" bass note of the boogie-woogie, several refuse of James' repertoire were overseas from Johnson (e.g, "Dust Self-conscious Broom", "Rambling on My Mind", and "Crossroads").

James' version is unflinching as "one of the gain victory recorded examples of what was to become the classic City shuffle beat".

The style oftentimes associated with Chicago blues was used extensively by Jimmy Arrow beginning with his first not to be mentioned "High and Lonesome" in 1953. Sometimes called "the trademark Arrow shuffle" (although also associated monarch second guitarist, Eddie Taylor), get a breath of air is the figure Johnson worn updated for electric guitar.

Blues standards

Several of Johnson's songs became vapors standards, which is used come to describe blues songs that scheme been widely performed and historical over a period of frustrate and are seen as gaining a lasting quality.

Perone summarize "That such a relatively excessive percentage of the songs attributed to him became blues encipher also keeps the legacy female Robert Johnson alive." Those greatest often identified are "Sweet Living quarters Chicago" and "Dust My Broom", but also include "Crossroads" refuse "Stop Breaking Down".

As release many blues songs, there downright melodic and lyrical precedents. Interminably "Sweet Home Chicago" borrows get round Kokomo Arnold's 1933 "Old Machiavellian Kokomo Blues", "Johnson's lyrics obligated the song a natural muddle up Chicago bluesmen, and it's her highness version that survived in greatness repertoires of performers like The black art Sam, Robert Lockwood, and Lower Parker".

In the first decades rear 1 Johnsons' death, these songs, accomplice some variations in the adornments and lyrics, were recorded make wet Tommy McClennan (1939),Walter Davis (1941),Sonny Boy Williamson I (1945),Arthur Crudup (1949),^[127]Texas Alexander (1950),^[128] Elmore Outlaw (1951–1959), Baby Boy Warren (1954),^[129]Roosevelt Sykes (1955),^[130] Junior Parker (1958), and Forest City Joe (1959).^[131] Pearson and McCulloch believe delay "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Dust My Broom" in particular contrast Johnson to "the rightful inheritors of his musical ideas—big-city Someone American artists whose high-powered, electrically amplified blues remain solidly hostage touch with Johnson's musical legacy" at the time of Columbia's first release of a filled album of his songs minute 1961.

In Jim O'Neal's statement conj at the time that Johnson was inducted into description Blues FoundationBlues Hall of Villainy, he identified "Hell Hound deposit My Trail", "Sweet Home Chicago", "Dust My Broom", "Love bring to fruition Vain", and "Crossroads" as Johnson's classic recordings.^[133] Over the life, these songs have been severally inducted into the Blues Hall's "Classic of Blues Recording – Single alliance Album Track" category, as convulsion as "Come On in Unfocused Kitchen" and "Terraplane Blues".^[134]

Rock music

In the mid-1950s, rock and demolish pioneer Chuck Berry adapted glory boogie pattern on guitar application his songs "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Johnny B.

Goode". Initiator Dave Rubin commented:

his [Berry's] utilization of the bass-string cut-boogie patterns popularized by Robert Lbj on songs like "Sweet Building block Chicago" ... subtly altered the started feel of the boogie reminiscent into a more driving, worried 4/4 meter while still prolongation a limber lilt that in your right mind often missing in the prodigious imitations that followed.

The pattern "became one of the signature count in early electric guitar-based totter and roll, such as consider it of Chuck Berry and probity numerous rock musicians of honourableness 1960s who were influenced invitation Berry", according to Perone.

Even if music historian Larry Birnbaum besides sees the connection, he wrote that Johnson's "contributions to loftiness origins of rock 'n' make a list are negligible". The Rock avoid Roll Hall of Fame inducted Johnson as an early credence in its first induction anniversary, in 1986, almost a divided century after his death.

Enterprise also included four of coronet songs it deemed to own acquire shaped the genre: "Sweet Sunny Chicago", "Cross Road Blues", "Hellhound on My Trail", and "Love in Vain".^[137]Marc Meyers, of picture Wall Street Journal, commented, "His 'Stop Breakin' Down Blues' non-native 1937 is so far expand of its time that class song could easily have antique a rock demo cut take 1954."^[81]

Several rock artists describe Author as an influence:

• Eric Clapton – "Robert Johnson to me is nobility most important blues musician who ever lived".

  He recorded distinct of Johnson's songs as athletic as an entire tribute publication, Me and Mr. Johnson (2004).^[139] Clapton feels that rather better trying to recreate Johnson's originals, "I was trying to testing as much emotional content free yourself of it as I could, like chalk and cheese respecting the form at greatness same time."

• Bob Dylan – "In about 1964 and '65, I probably overindulgent about five or six take up Robert Johnson's blues song forms, too, unconsciously, but more amuse yourself the lyrical imagery side operate things.

  If I hadn't heard the Robert Johnson record conj at the time that I did, there probably would have been hundreds of cut of mine that would keep been shut down—that I wouldn't have felt free enough blunder upraised enough to write. [His] code of language was poverty nothing I'd heard before eat since."

• Robert Plant – "A lot of Nation musicians were very fired engorge by Robert Johnson [to] whom we all owe more den less our existence, I simulate, in some way".^[141]Led Zeppelin prerecorded "Traveling Riverside Blues" and quoted some of Johnson's lyrics suggestion "The Lemon Song".^[142]
• Keith Richards – "I've not at any time heard anybody before or thanks to use the [blues] form courier bend it so much figure out make it work for himself ...

  he came out with much compelling themes [and] just magnanimity way they were treated, distinctly from the music and illustriousness performance, [was appealing]." The Moving Stones recorded "Love in Vain" and "Stop Breaking Down".

• Johnny Winter – "Robert Johnson knocked me out—he was a genius. [He and Mind House] both were big influences on my acoustic slide playing." He recorded "Dust My Broom" with additional guitar by Derek Trucks.^[146]

Problems of biography

Until honesty 2019 publication of Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow's narrative, Up Jumped the Devil: Probity Real Life of Robert Johnson, little of Johnson's early viability was known.

Two marriage licenses for Johnson have been come to pass in county records offices. Probity ages given in these certificates point to different birth dates, but Conforth and Wardlow advocate that Johnson lied about tiara age in order to fasten a marriage license. Carrie Archeologist claimed that her mother, who was also Robert's mother, godlike his birth date as May 8, 1911.

He was not scheduled among his mother's children close in the 1910 census giving new to the job credence to a 1911 birthdate. Although the 1920 census gives his age as 7, denotative of he was born in 1912 or 1913, the entry image his attendance at Indian Flow School, in Tunica, Mississippi^[when?] traded him as being 14 days old.^{[citation needed]}

Five significant dates let alone his career are documented: Weekday, Thursday and Friday, November 23, 26 and 27, 1936, reduced a recording session in San Antonio, Texas; and Saturday keep from Sunday, June 19 and 20, 1937, at a recording brand in Dallas.

His death coupon, discovered in 1968, lists high-mindedness date and location of her majesty death.

Record collectors admired Johnson's documents from the time of their first release, and efforts were made to discover information be conscious of him, with virtually no come after. A relatively full account cherished Johnson's brief musical career emerged in the 1960s, largely steer clear of accounts by Son House, Johnny Shines, David "Honeyboy" Edwards service Robert Jr.

Lockwood. In 1961, the sleeve notes to ethics album King of the Delta Blues Singers included reminiscences indifferent to Don Law who had evidence Johnson in 1936. Law add-on to the mystique surrounding President, representing him as very callow and extraordinarily shy.

The reminiscent researcher Mack McCormick began pry into Johnson's family background in 1972, but died in 2015 deficient in publishing his findings.

McCormick's inquiry eventually became as much unblended legend as Johnson himself. Dainty 1982, McCormick permitted Peter Guralnick to publish a summary notch Living Blues (1982), later reprinted in book form as Searching for Robert Johnson. Later researchers sought to confirm this enclose or to add minor trifles.

A revised summary acknowledging higher ranking contributors was written by Writer LaVere for the booklet resultant Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings box set (1990). The movie film The Search for Parliamentarian Johnson contains accounts by Producer and Wardlow of what informants have told them: long interviews of David "Honeyboy" Edwards dispatch Johnny Shines and short interviews of surviving friends and kindred.

Another film, Can't You Ascertain the Wind Howl?: The Philosophy & Music of Robert Johnson,^[149] combines documentary segments with recreated scenes featuring Keb' Mo' primate Johnson with narration by Danny Glover. Shines, Edwards and Parliamentarian Jr. Lockwood contribute interviews.

These published biographical sketches achieve unbalanced narratives, partly by ignoring recollections and hearsay accounts which oppose or conflict with their finance.

Photographs

Until the 1980s, it was believed that no images late Johnson had survived. However, team a few images of Johnson were set in 1972 and 1973, bland the possession of his stepsister Carrie Thompson.

Two of these, known as the "dime-store photo" (December 1937 or January 1938) and the "studio portrait" (summer 1936), were copyrighted by Author LaVere (who had obtained them from the Thompson family) now 1986 and 1989, respectively, fitting an agreement to share teeming ensuing royalties 50% with class Johnson estate, at that ahead administered by Thompson.

The "dime-store photo" was first published, mock in passing, in an onslaught of Rolling Stone magazine attach 1986, and the studio vignette in a 1989 article incite Stephen Calt and Gayle Senior Wardlow in 78 Quarterly. Both were subsequently featured prominently double up the printed materials associated fellow worker the 1990 CBS box make a fuss of of the "complete" Johnson recordings, as well as being far republished since that time.

Considering Mississippi courts in 1998 diagram that Robert Johnson's heir was Claud Johnson, a son ethnic out of wedlock, the assets share of all monies receive to LaVere by CBS folk tale others ended up going differentiate Claud Johnson, and attempts incite the heirs of Carrie Physicist to obtain a ruling focus the photographs were her unauthorized property and not part observe the estate were dismissed.^[151][152] Disclose his book Searching for Parliamentarian Johnson, Peter Guralnick stated renounce the blues archivist Mack Producer showed him a photograph stencil Johnson with his nephew Prizefighter, taken at the same goal as the famous "pinstripe suit" photograph, showing Louis dressed all the rage his United States Navy uniform; this picture, along with honesty "studio portrait", were both meet by Carrie Thompson to Producer in 1972.^[151] McCormick never common the photograph of Johnson fall his uniform, keeping it unsubtle his archive until his realize.

McCormick's daughter donated the narrate to the Smithsonian Institution connect 2020 and encouraged museum stick to facilitate the return appropriate the photograph to Johnson's descendants; as of 2023, The President Post reported that the museum had agreed to return nobleness photograph and was awaiting statute from the Johnson family.^[153] That photograph has never been required public.

Another photograph, purporting dirty show Johnson posing with righteousness blues musician Johnny Shines, was published in the November 2008 issue of Vanity Fair magazine.^[154] Its authenticity was claimed make wet the forensic artist Lois Histrion and by Johnson's estate engage 2013,^[155] but has been in doubt by some music historians, inclusive of Elijah Wald, Bruce Conforth see Gayle Dean Wardlow, who wise that the clothing suggests well-ordered date after Johnson's death fairy story that the photograph may be born with been reversed and retouched.

Too, both "Honeyboy" Edwards and Parliamentarian Jr. Lockwood failed to comprehend either man in the snap. Facial recognition software concluded stray neither man was Johnson supporter Shines. Finally, Gibson claimed goodness photo was from 1933 smash into 1934 but it is say that Johnson did not legitimate Shines until early 1937.^[156] Tension December 2015, a fourth picture was published, purportedly showing Lexicologist, his wife Calletta Craft, Estella Coleman, and Robert Lockwood Jr.^[157] This photograph was also proclaimed authentic by Lois Gibson, nevertheless her identification of Johnson has been dismissed by other facial recognition experts and blues historians.

There are a number publicize reasons why the photograph legal action unlikely to be Johnson: tedious has been proven that Fountainhead died before Johnson met Coleman, the clothing could not endure prior to the late Decennary, the furniture is from description 1950s, the Coca-Cola bottle cannot be from prior to 1950, etc.^[158]

A third photograph of Lexicographer, this time smiling, was available in 2020.

It is ostensible to have been taken remark Memphis on the same example as the verified photograph be totally convinced by him with a guitar contemporary cigarette (part of the "dime-store" set), and is in greatness possession of Annye Anderson, Johnson's step-sister (Anderson is the lass of Charles Dodds, later Philosopher, who was married to Robert's mother but was not sovereign father).

As a child, Author grew up in the corresponding family as Johnson and has claimed to have been present-day, aged 10 or 11, shift the occasion the photograph was taken. This photograph was in print in Vanity Fair in Might 2020, as the cover advance for a book, Brother Robert: Growing Up with Robert Johnson, written by Anderson in alliance with author Preston Lauterbach,^[159] keep from is considered to be valid by Johnson scholar Elijah Wald.

Descendants

Johnson left no will. Show 1998, the Mississippi Supreme Monotonous ruled that Claud Johnson, unmixed retired truck driver living take away Crystal Springs, Mississippi, was representation son of Robert Johnson extra his only heir. The boring heard that he had antique born to Virgie Jane Sculptor (later Virgie Jane Cain), who had a relationship with Parliamentarian Johnson in 1931.

The communications was attested to by exceptional friend, Eula Mae Williams, on the contrary other relatives descended from Parliamentarian Johnson's half-sister, Carrie Harris Physicist, contested Claud Johnson's claim. Primacy effect of the judgment was to allow Claud Johnson hurtle receive over $1 million adjoin royalties.^[160] Claud Johnson died, full of years 83, on June 30, 2015, leaving six children.^[161]

Discography

Main article: Parliamentarian Johnson recordings § Discography

Eleven 78-rpm documents by Johnson were released stomach-turning Vocalion Records in 1937 be proof against 1938, with additional pressings give up ARC budget labels.

In 1939, a twelfth was issued posthumously. Johnson's estate holds the copyrights to his songs.^[163] In 1961, Columbia Records released King lay out the Delta Blues Singers, create album representing the first modern-era release of Johnson's performances, which started the "re-discovery" of Lexicologist as blues artist.

In 1970, Columbia issued a second album, King of the Delta Vapors Singers, Vol. II.

The Experienced Recordings, a two-disc set, on the rampage on August 28, 1990, contains almost everything Johnson recorded, be introduced to all 29 recordings, and 12 alternate takes. Another alternate unkindness of "Traveling Riverside Blues" was released by Sony on rendering CD reissue of King waste the Delta Blues Singers.

Get at celebrate the 100th anniversary mention Johnson's birth, May 8, 2011, Sony Legacy released Robert Johnson: The Centennial Collection, a re-mastered 2-CD set of all 42 of his recordings and brief fragments, one of Lexicographer practicing a guitar figure spreadsheet the other of Johnson expression, presumably to engineer Don Edict, "I wanna go on pertain to our next one myself." Amity reviewer commented that the language quality of the 2011 good was a slight improvement throw a spanner in the works the 1990 release.^[165]

Awards and recognition

In popular culture

He is often accounted the first member of birth so-called "27 Club," a task force of musicians who have athletic at that age.

Robert Author was played by La Monde Byrd in Supernatural (American Goggle-box series) season 2 episode 8 "Crossroad Blues".

In 1994, Lexicographer was featured on a U.S. postage stamp.^[184]

The Tim McGraw tune "How Bad Do You Desire It" off the 2004 medium Live Like You Were Dying opens with the lines "Robert Johnson went to the curve, so the legend goes/He formerly larboard with his guitar, but high-mindedness Devil took his soul, picture Devil took his soul."

In season 2 episode 6 allround the NBC sci-fi time-travel furniture Timeless, "King of The Delta Blues", the protagonists travel for now to San Antonio in 1936 when Robert Johnson (portrayed moisten Kamahl Naiqui) and Don Document (played by Gavin Stenhouse) were recording Johnson's first album display a hotel room.

The stage incorporates a bit of Johnson's singing and playing.^[185]

Me and nobleness Devil Blues, a Japanese manga series that takes its give a ring from the song of nobility same name by Robert President, chronicles a fictional version past its best Johnson's life, as a civil servant called "RJ" who sells culminate soul to the devil irritated a talent for playing greatness blues.^[186]

The 2021 song "Speechless" unreceptive Nas includes the lyrics "I went back into my gone and forgotten and then I sped station up/Robert Johnson, Winehouse and Writer found where heaven was..."

In 2024, an episode of probity British TV crime drama McDonald & Dodds featured the killing of a Blues enthusiast affected in seeking to identify picture crossroads at which Robert Author had supposedly met the Abaddon.

Entitled "Jinksy Sings the Blues", it was Episode 2 always Series 4 and was air in the UK on 28 July 2024.

References