Robert Johnson, Father of the Blues, was born this date in
1911. I don't know if you the story is true or not, but he said he made a deal with the Devil to be a great singer and player.... and thus he became!
Here is what Wikipedia had to say about Robert Johnson:
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 –
August 16, 1938) was an Americanblues singer and musician. His
landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar
skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of
musicians. Johnson's shadowy, poorly documented life anddeath at age 27 have given rise to much
legend, including the Faustian myth that he sold his
soul at a crossroads to achieve success. As an
itinerant performer who played mostly on street corners, in juke joints, and at Saturday night dances, Johnson had little
commercial success or public recognition in his lifetime.
Johnson's records sold
poorly during his lifetime. It was only after the reissue of his recordings in
1961 on the LP King of the Delta Blues
Singers that his work reached a
wider audience. Johnson is now recognized as a master of the blues,
particularly of the Mississippi Delta blues style. He is credited by
many rock musicians as an important influence; Eric Clapton has called Johnson
"the most important blues singer that ever lived."[1][2] Johnson was inducted into
the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame as an "Early
Influence" in their first induction ceremony in 1986.[3] In 2003, David Fricke ranked Johnson fifth in Rolling Stone′s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of
All Time.[4]
What is not mentioned in
the above Wikipedia article is how he died He died near Greenwood, Mississippi. It is believed by some that he was poisoned by his lover's husband. He crawled around the floor, gagging,
vomiting, and making animal sounds until he died. If you knew of his deal he said he made with the Devil and you saw the way he died, wouldn't you think the Devil collected?
On the below video Robert Johnson sings about the Crossroad.
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