Crossroad Blues

Robert Johnson

Probably the most famous and legendary of all the bluesmen, Robert Johnson was born on May 8th 1911, near the town of Hazelhurst, Mississippi.  His mother had taken up with Noah Johnson, while her husband was living in Memphis and Robert was the outcome of this relationship. Robert’s first few years were spent moving from plantation to plantation.  His older half sister, Carrie, cared for him, whilst his mother, Julia, picked and chopped cotton. 

Around 1914, the whole family, including Julia, her husband Charles, their 10 children and Charles’ mistress and their two children were living in Memphis.  Robert grew up near Robinsonville after Julia took up  with Willie “Dusty” Willis.  It was decided that Robert should live with his mother and Dusty, after Charles was finding it hard to live with the strong-willed boy.

Robert took up the “Jew’s” harp and the harmonica, swapping songs with friends, and was not interested in farm work. It was around 1927 that Robert got his first guitar.    Two years later, in 1929, Robert married his sweetheart, Virginia Travis. In the August, Virginia became pregnant, but both she and the baby died during labour.

Within a few months of the death of his wife and child, came a decisive time in Robert’s life.  Son House moved to Robinsonville. Part musician and part preacher, Son House was a powerful performer, and impressed the young Robert.  Robert would study at the feet of Son House, Willy Brown and sometimes Charley Patton.  He often made a nuisance of himself by playing their guitars whilst they had a break from playing in juke joints.  His inexperience showed, and often customers left the juke joints.  This behaviour saw Robert told off several times by Son House, who at one time, advised him to stick to the harmonica!

By sneaking out to the juke joints on his own, Robert’s playing style soon improved.  He moved back to Hazelhurst  in 1930, and in 1931 he married Calleta Craft.  Over the next few years he travelled around, staying with older women, playing guitar, while the women worked.   This gave rise to the rumours and myths that Robert sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads at midnight.  When he left, he was a novice guitarist, and when he returned, he was a very accomplished blues guitarist. He spent a lot of time with Ike Zinnerman, who was a veteran blues guitarist and played in both East Coast and Delta styles.  Zinnerman claimed that he learnt to play guitar sitting in a graveyard at night.

In 1936, Robert met H.C. Spier, who was responsible for recording Charley Patton, Son House, Skip James, Tommy Johnson, and most of the other Delta blues musicians. Spier owned a music shop in Jackson, Mississippi and was also involved in scouting for new talent. He enjoyed many styles of music, but the blues was his favourite. Spier listened to Robert Johnson, and suggested him to his friend Ernie Oertle, who was the local representative for the American Record Company. 

Oertle listened to Robert play, and offered to take him to San Antonio to record.  They travelled together for the first day of recording on 23rd November 1936.  ARC had set up a temporary recording studio in a room in either the Gunter Hotel, or a local radio station.

Johnson’s behaviour working with white men in San Antionio, was different to that in his own town.  He appeared nervous and ill at ease with those recording him.  Apparently, Robert faced the wall whilst recording his songs, and this was initially put down to nerves, but is more likely to be because he didn’t want his techniques to be copied.  Robert Johnson could play by ear, and picked up new songs very easily. He could hold a conversation, listen to a song on the radio, and play the song note perfect days later. 

Once Robert had recording his songs, they were played on jukeboxes all over the Delta, and he travelled throughout the region, and even to Canada.  Seven months later, he was asked back to record more songs.  All in all, Robert recorded just 29 songs, in 5 sessions, and in the course of this, changed the history of music forever.

The circumstances surrounding Robert Johnson’s death are unclear, and there are many stories and myths surrounding his death.  In Greenwood, Mississippi, Robert was allegedly messing around with a married woman, and her husband found out.  The husband handed a bottle of “poisoned” whiskey to Robert, Robert drank the whiskey and died.  It was reported that Robert crawled around on his knees and howled like a dog, thus adding to the myths and legends surrounding his death.

Robert Johnson may have only recorded a few songs, but his legacy is plain for all to see. The song Crossroad Blues tells of trying to hitch a ride get back to the farm where he worked. He asks the Lord for help as he can't get a lift and everyone he see passes him by.

A lot of Robert Johnson's songs tell of the darker side of life, which might also explain the myth about him selling his soul to the devil. Malted Milk talks of trying to drive his blues away, and "spooks around my bed". Me and the Devil Blues tells of walking side by side with the devil, and beating his woman until he was satisfied.

A lot of these expressions could well be euphanisms for other things, and it may be that the lyrics should not be taken at face value. As an example, rock and roll was used as a euphanism for making love.

Despite several stories, and embellishments regarding his death, it has recently come to light that Robert Johnson may have suffered from an aortic dissection caused by Marfan’s Syndrome.  Marfan’s Syndrome is a tissue disorder, and sufferers are often tall and thin with long fingers, curved spines and eye problems.  A fatal aortic dissection may also have been the cause of Robert crawling around on his knees and howling like a dog.