Robert Johnson was born in Hazlehurst, Miss., in May 1911 White supremacists across the South reversed many of the freedoms and rights granted Blacks after the Civil War. When Robert was around 7, his family moved to Robinsonville, MS. It was there, in the town’s popular juke joints that his now legendary music career began. In Robinsonville he came in contact with masters of the Mississippi Delta blues Willie Brown, Charley Patton, and Son House—all of whom influenced his playing.
Johnson left Robinsonville for a brief period. It was during that period Johnson, according to legend, made a deal with Satan at a crossroads, acquiring his prodigious talent. When Johnson next appeared in Robinsonville, he seemed to have miraculously acquired a guitar technique. During Son House’s and Willie Brown’s shows in Robinsonville, Johnson would take one of their guitars during intermission and force the audience to listen to his tunes.
Johnson then left Robinsonville, before setteling in Helena, Arkansas, where he played with Elmore James, Robert Nighthawk, and Howlin’ Wolf, among others. Johnson moved frequently between the cities of Memphis and Helena, and the smaller towns of the Mississippi Delta and neighboring regions of Mississippi and Arkansas. He traveled widely throughout Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee and as far north as Chicago.
When Robert Johnson arrived in a new town, he would play for tips on street corners or in front of the local barbershop or a restaurant. He played at house parties, juke joints, and lumber camps and on the street. In 1936–37 he made a series of recordings in a hotel room in San Antonio, Texas, and a warehouse in Dallas. His repertoire included several blues songs by House, Patton, and others. But Johnson’s original numbers—such as “Me and the Devil Blues,” “Hellhound on My Trail", were his most compelling pieces. But before he could amply enjoy his success, Johnson died suddenly a year later. He was only 27 years old.
His landmark recordings displayed a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. A brilliant guitarist and masterful storyteller, Johnson’s songs, and the intrigue surrounding his short life and death, have made for a unique legacy in musical history. As was the tradition in blues music, many of Johnson’s compositions borrowed elements from other artists’ songs.
His singular talents, however, are what made these recordings so remarkable. Johnson’s vocal delivery was complex and highly emotive, thanks in part to his subtle, yet effective, pitch inflections. The final element that made Johnson’s recordings so unique was his extraordinary guitar technique. The artist, who was often associated with Gibson guitars, used his instrument like a second voice.