Robert Johnson

I am one of the greatest innovators of blues-roots music. My uncanny style of playing convinced some people of the old myth: those who play the blues sold their soul to the devil. While other blues players were figurin out how to play bass and rhythmic lines at the same time, I was playin bass, rhythm and lead all at the same time. My lyric writing used metaphors and symbolism that would later be copied by numerous blues players. I embodied the spirit of the ramblin, whiskey drinkin, gambling womanizer.
I am the true king of rock n roll, as I bridged the gap between blues and rock music. Elvis, kiss my ass. My style of playin set the foundation for the way rock n roll is still being played today. I invented much of the rhythmic styles and even the chords that are now commonly found in rock music.
Before gangsta rap, I sang "32-20 Blues" and "Terraplane Blues".
Before there was even a name for rock n roll, I sang "I'm a Steady Rollin Man" and "Last Fair Deal Goin Down".
Before there was metal, I sang "Hellhound on my Trail" and "Me and the Devil Blues".
I was one of the first artists to express the rock n roll attitude. Before Christian conservatives were callin rock “devil’s music”, I was already singin about sex, drugs, and rock n roll. After being slandered for supposedly playin “devil’s music”, I turned it around on my critics. I embraced the devil and wrote songs about him and me. Folklore built around my persona sayin that I sold my soul at the crossroads to the devil for my incredible guitar playing ability. Superstition built even further on a fateful night at the “Three Forks” jukehouse in Greenwood, Mississippi. Midway through the show, someone offered me a half-pint of whiskey, and I took a drink. Later, in the middle of my set, I started feeling sick and had to leave. Someone had laced my whiskey with strychnine. For the next two weeks I withstood the poisoning alone in a Baptist Town house. I couldn’t afford medical care. Rumor is that I turned into a madman, barking on my hands and knees like a wild dog. The superstitious said that the hellhounds had caught up to me and claimed the devil’s prize. I died at the age of 27.
To this day, no one is certain as to where I’m buried, adding even more to the mysterious folklore. There are 3 gravestones claiming to mark my gravesite.
I was such a rambler, there isn’t even much to document my existence. The only evidence of me is 2 pictures (which you can see in my profile) and a library of recordings.
This page was meant to unite Robert Johnson fans under one banner: to finally give props to the man who is the king of the blues, the uncrowned king of rock n roll, and one of the most important, influential, and unsung artists in American music. By being a friend, you recognize that credit is severely overdue for Robert Johnson, and it is time to pay homage.
For a comprehensive biography, click here .
“Well, you can’t hear a blues tune or rock tune that don’t have some of Robert’s chords in it, because he made them all…I know that he was making chords that he never heard before, but still he never practiced. He never looked for a chord. He just automatically made them. 9ths, diminishes, augmented’s, 7ths, 10ths, 13ths, all that stuff…he made them and made them right and in the right place.” -Johnny Shines, fellow player and childhood friend
“You think you’re getting a handle on playing the blues and then to hear Johnson is like ‘Whoa, there’s a long way to go yet’”-Keith Richards
“Robert Johnson's music sent me reeling. I couldn't even imagine how someone could play the guitar the way he did and sing at the same time.” -Bonnie Raitt
“I think he’s the greatest folk/blues guitar player that ever lived…the greatest singer…the greatest writer.”-Eric Clapton