Happy Birthday, Robert Johnson
One hundred years ago on the 8th May 1911, a child was born in Mississippi who grew up, learned to sing and play the blues, and eventually achieved worldwide renown.
In the decades after his death, he has become known as the King of the Delta Blues Singers, his music expanding in influence to the point that rock stars of the greatest magnitude.
The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers have all sing his praise and have recorded his songs.
That child was Robert Johnson.
Over the years, Johnson’s influence has resounded in the music of Muddy Waters (“32-20 Blues”), Elmore James (“I Believe I'll Dust My Broom”), Junior Parker (“Sweet Home Chicago”), John Hammond Jr. (“Milk Cow's Calf Blues”), the Rolling Stones (“Love In Vain,” “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues”), John Mayall (“Ramblin’ On My Mind”), Cream (“From Four Until Late”), Eric Clapton (“Cross Road Blues”), Johnny Winter (“When You Got a Good Friend”), Paul Butterfield and Bonnie Raitt (“Walkin’ Blues”), Fleetwood Mac and ZZ Top (“Hellhound On My Trail”), Led Zeppelin (“Traveling Riverside Blues”), Keb’ Mo’ (“Preachin’ Blues”), Cassandra Wilson (“Come On In My Kitchen”), and countless others.
It is by far the most empowering body of work in American history to emerge from one solitary blues figure.
The legend of his life (which by now, even folks who don't know anything about the blues can cite to you chapter and verse) goes something like this...
Robert Johnson was a young black man living on a plantation in rural Mississippi.
Branded with a burning desire to become great blues musician, he was instructed to take his guitar to a crossroad near Dockery's plantation at midnight.
There he was met by a large black man (the Devil) who took the guitar from Johnson, tuned it, and handed it back to him.
Within less than a year's time, in exchange for his everlasting soul, Robert Johnson became the king of the Delta blues singers, able to play, sing, and create the greatest blues anyone had ever heard.
Robert met his end one Saturday night at a juke joint in Three Forks, Mississippi, in August of 1938.
Playing with Honeyboy Edwards and Sonny Boy Williamson (aka Rice Miller), Johnson was given a jug of moonshine whiskey laced with either poison or lye, presumably by the husband of a woman the singer had made advances toward.
He continued playing into the night until he was too sick to continue, then brought back to a boarding house in Greenwood, some 15 miles away.
He lay sick for several days, successfully sweating the poison out of his system, but caught pneumonia as a result and died on August 16th.
Thank you for your legacy, Robert Johnson, and happy birthday!
For more information about the life of Robert Johnson, click HERE
