43: KING OF THE DELTA BLUES SINGERS | ROBERT JOHNSON
Robert Johnson was one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. He was born in Mississippi in 1911, and learned to play the guitar from local blues legends like Charley Patton and Son House. He traveled around the country, playing on street corners, juke joints, and Saturday night dances. He also developed a unique style of singing, guitar playing, and songwriting that combined elements of Delta blues, country, gospel, and folk music.
Johnson recorded only 29 songs in his short life, but they have become classics of the blues genre. Some of his songs are “Cross Road Blues”, “Sweet Home Chicago”, “Love in Vain”, and “Hellhound on My Trail”. His songs often deal with themes such as love, betrayal, death, and the supernatural. He also used metaphors and imagery from African American folklore and mythology, such as the crossroads, the devil, and the hellhound.
Johnson’s life was shrouded in mystery and legend. One of the most famous stories about him is that he sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in exchange for his musical talent. Another story is that he was poisoned by a jealous husband of a woman he was involved with. He died in 1938 at the age of 27, near Greenwood, Mississippi.
Johnson’s music had a profound impact on many later musicians, especially in the fields of rock and roll, blues rock, and electric blues. Some of the artists who have been influenced by him are Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Jimi Hendrix, and B.B. King. Johnson was also one of the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
