What really happened to Robert Johnson?
A death certificate recovered by the researcher Gayle Dean Wardlow showed that he died on Aug. 16, 1938, at a plantation near Greenwood, Miss. The cause was complications of syphilis, according to a note on the back of the certificate that was attributed to the plantation’s owner.
Is Robert Johnson still alive?
Deceased (1911–1938)
Robert Johnson/Living or Deceased
Who is Robert Johnson blues?
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians.
What is Robert Johnson most famous for?
Robert Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest blues performers of all time. His hits include “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom” and “Sweet Home Chicago,” which has become a blues standard. Part of his mythology is a story of how he gained his musical talents by making a bargain with the devil.
What guitarist sold his soul to the devil?
Robert Johnson
His playing was to die for—or at the very least, sell your soul to Satan for. Legend has it that Robert Johnson met the devil at a crossroads and gave him his soul in exchange for mastery of the guitar.
Was Robert Johnson a good guitar player?
Regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Delta blues wizard Robert Johnson recorded only 29 songs (plus 13 alternate takes, in two sessions) during his 27 years of life. Johnson played his Gibson L-1 using a thumb pick and occasionally used a slide.
Did Son House know Robert Johnson?
But precisely how Johnson picked up and developed the rhythmic guitar style which relied on perfect phrasing and timing, is a matter for conjecture. Son House met Johnson in 1933 when, he claims, he was playing jew’s harp infinitely better than guitar.
Which singer sold his soul to the devil?
Robert Johnson stands at the crossroads of American music, much as it is rumored that he once stood at a Mississippi crossroads and sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his unique musical gifts.
Who owns the rights to Robert Johnson’s music?
A whopping 62 years after his death, the legendary musician’s estate has finally been probated. The Mississippi state courts recognized Claude Johnson as the sole legal heir of Robert L. Johnson. One man can now put this struggle behind him, and celebrate the musical legacy of his father.
What brand of guitar did Robert Johnson play?
Gibson Guitar Corporation
Guitars Johnson played The guitar he is holding in the studio portrait, where he’s dressed in a suit, is a Gibson Guitar Corporation model L-1 flat top, which was a small body acoustic produced between 1926 and 1937.
How did Robert Johnson sell his soul?
1986. Robert Johnson stands at the crossroads of American music, much as it is rumored that he once stood at a Mississippi crossroads and sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his unique musical gifts.
Who inspired Sons House?
The young guitarist Alan Wilson (later of Canned Heat) was a fan of House’s. The producer John Hammond asked Wilson, who was just 22 years old, to teach “Son House how to play like Son House,” because Wilson had such a good knowledge of blues styles.