Legendary Guitarist Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson also Known as “The man who sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads, for guitar playing prowess. Robert Johnson lived a very short life and some of the dates are a little blurry, but the general understanding is that he was born around may 8th 1911 and died 27 years later on august 16th 1938 around Greenwood Mississippi. Johnson had about 10 siblings all 10 being born out of wedlock his mother being married to a sharecropper. Robert was an illegitimate child whose father was a plantation worker.

Robert was sent to ive with him when he was about 4 years old. Johnson grew up in Memphis Tennessee, and learned to play the guitar from his brother. When he got to an older age he got to an older age he went to go spend some years with his mother. From this young age you could tell that Robert was very interested in music which did not bode well with his stepfather.

Robert was married to Virginia Thomas by the time he was 17, unfortunately she died about a year later giving birth.

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In 1930 he first played for Son House which was one of the best Bluesmen of the time. He reviews were not great, stating that people thought they should take away the guitar from him because he was so bad.In 1931 Robert Married Colletta Craft in Hazlehurst, Mississippi but continued to wander throughout the delta improving his skills on the guitar and playing at juke joints and picnics. He later on had a time to redeem himself in front of Son House and they were pleasantly surprised they raved at how much he had improved.

While travelling he picked up a companion by the name of Lonnie Johnson, Lonnie always said how clean he was even tho he was a traveler. Johnsons second wife passed away as well while giving birth.

By the time he was in his mid twenties he wanted to record some music of his own. He ran into a scout for ARC records by the name of Speir. They then cut the track “Kind Hearted Woman Blues” which was one of the thirteen takes of eight different songs. The next days he did 9 more songs and was paid no more the 100 dollars. He then went back to his regular life. The first track released was “Terraplane Blues” that was paired with “Kind Hearted Woman Blues” it would be the only one that sold in significant numbers at that given point in time. They realized that his music was good enough for a second session so they summoned him back. This following time they did 10 more songs. After this session they went back to texas, and a journalist wanted to interview him only to find that he passed away. No one knows exactly how he died but it's understood that he might have been poisoned.