Robert Johnson and the Birth of the Blues
Robert Johnson is considered by many to be the father of the blues. His unique style and approach to music influenced countless other artists, and helped to shape the genre as we know it today. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at Johnson’s life and work, and explore how he helped to create the blues.
Early Life
Robert Johnson was born on May 8, 1911, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. He was the fourth and last child of Julia Major Dodds and Charles Dodds. His mother died when he was just a baby, and his father remarried soon after. Johnson grew up around music. His stepfather, Willie Coffey, was a local blues musician who played the guitar and sang. Johnson was exposed to music at an early age and it quickly became a part of his life.
Robert Johnson’s birth and childhood
Robert Johnson was born on May 8, 1911, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. He grew up in a family of musicians and was exposed to the blues from an early age. His father, Charles Johnson, was a preacher and an accomplished guitarist. His mother, Julie Mae Major Dodds, was a powerful singer who often performed at churches and community events.
Johnson began playing the guitar when he was just six years old. By the time he was a teenager, he had developed into a masterful musician. In 1927, at the age of 16, he left Hazlehurst to live with his uncle in Memphis, Tennessee. It was there that he first began to perform publicly and to make a name for himself as a talented blues musician.
In 1929, Johnson returned to Mississippi and settled in Robinsonville (now Tunica). He quickly became one of the most popular musicians in the area, playing at parties, juke joints, and country dances. He also began to travel extensively throughout the Mississippi Delta region, performing with other well-known bluesmen such as Willie Brown and Son House.
In 1936, at the age of 25, Johnson made his way to San Antonio, Texas, where he met music producer Don Law. Law offered to record Johnson’s music if he would come to Dallas. Johnson agreed and went on to make some of the most influential recordings in all of blues history.
Robert Johnson’s musical influences
Robert Johnson’s major musical influences were Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson, and Skip James. He was also influenced by the Carter Family, Charley Patton and other Delta blues musicians. Robert Johnson’s style of guitar playing and singing has been copied by many artists, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, and Eric Clapton.
The Crossroads
In the early 1930s, an enigmatic young man named Robert Johnson began showing up at country dance halls and juke joints throughout the Mississippi Delta. He was a charismatic figure with a guitar style that was as fresh as it was profoundly influential. Yet, for all of his outsized talent and potential, Johnson was obscure, playing for tips in rough-and-tumble bars and rarely traveling more than a few miles from his home.
The legend of the crossroads
The crossroads has been a part of American folklore since the days of slavery. It was said that if you went to the crossroads and made a deal with the devil, you could become a great musician. This legend was popularized by Robert Johnson, one of the most influential blues musicians of all time.
Johnson was born in 1911 in Mississippi. He grew up around music, but he was not a particularly talented musician. He started playing the guitar when he was 16 and quickly became obsessed with it. He reportedly practiced for 12 hours a day.
In 1930, Johnson went to the crossroads and made his deal with the devil. Suddenly, he could play the guitar like no one had ever heard before. His style was raw and primal, and it captivated audiences. He became famous overnight.
Johnson only recorded a handful of songs, but they have had a lasting impact on music. His style influenced everyone from Muddy Waters to Jimi Hendrix. He is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, and his legend continues to grow.
Robert Johnson’s meeting with the devil
In the early 1930s, a young man named Robert Johnson was playing the blues in the Mississippi Delta. He was a talented musician, but he was struggling to make a name for himself. One day, he went to a crossroads and made a deal with the devil. In exchange for his soul, the devil gave Johnson the power to play the guitar like no one had ever heard before.
Johnson’s deal with the devil made him one of the most influential musicians in history. His music inspired future generations of musicians, including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Without Johnson, there would be no blues as we know it today.
Recording Career
Although Robert Johnson only recorded 29 songs in his lifetime, his influence on the development of the blues and rock and roll is incalculable. He died at the age of 27, but his recordings have inspired generations of musicians. Let’s take a look at his career.
Robert Johnson’s recording sessions
In November 1936, Robert Johnson made his first recordings in a makeshift studio in San Antonio, Texas. He was accompanied by his friend, singer and guitarist Johnny Shines. The two men recorded 16 songs over the course of three days. Johnson was paid $50 for the entire session. Of the 16 recordings, only 12 were released at the time. The remaining four were not released until after Johnson’s death in 1938.
In June 1937,Johnson traveled to Dallas, Texas to record again. This time he was accompanied by his friend and fellow musician, Willie Brown. The two men recorded 13 songs over the course of two days. As with the previous session, only 12 of the recordings were released at the time. The remaining one was not released until after Johnson’s death in 1938.
In August 1938,Johnson made his final recordings in Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. He was accompanied by pianist Don Law and guitarist Bill Sutton. The three men recorded 23 songs over a period of four days. All 23 of these recordings were released at the time and have been widely available since then.
The release of Robert Johnson’s records
In November of 1936, Robert Johnson went to San Antonio to record his first and only commercial sessions. Over the course of two days, he recorded a total of 29 songs. This included many of his most famous songs such as “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Cross Road Blues,” and “Love in Vain.” These recordings were released by the American Record Company over the next few years and helped spread Johnson’s legend throughout the country.
Later Life and Death
Robert Johnson was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, on May 8, 1911. He began playing the guitar at a young age and developed his own unique style of playing. Johnson only recorded a handful of songs, but he had a profound influence on the development of the blues. He died in 1938 under mysterious circumstances.
Robert Johnson’s later years
In the fall of 1938, Robert Johnson returned to Mississippi. He wanted to settle down and build a life with Caletta Craft, whom he had married earlier that year. He also hoped to find steady work as a musician.
Instead, he found that his reputation as a “devil’s music” player had only grown in his absence. He was no longer welcome in many of the places where he had once played. And the wife he had left behind had taken up with another man.
Unable to make a living, Johnson became increasingly desperate. He began drinking heavily and was often seen wandering the streets muttering to himself. On August 16, 1938, he was playing for tips at a country crossroads near Greenwood, Mississippi, when he was suddenly taken ill. At first it was thought that he had been poisoned by someone who disapproved of his music. But Johnson himself said that he had been “hurtin’ bad” for some time and that the pain had finally become too much to bear. Three days later, he died in a primitive shack on the plantation of his friend Dr. Henry Jones. He was 27 years old.
Robert Johnson’s death and legacy
On August 16, 1938, Robert Johnson died at the age of 27 in Greenwood, Mississippi, under mysterious circumstances. According to some reports, he was poisoned by a jealous husband; others say he died of syphilis. Whatever the cause, his death cut short a remarkable life and career.
In just a few years, Johnson had gone from being an obscure country blues musician to one of the most influential artists in all of popular music. His recordings would go on to inspire generations of musicians, from Muddy Waters and B.B. King to Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones. In 2006, Johnson was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
