the truth about robert johnson
Only two confirmed photos of him survive. Robert S Johnson. Did he sell his soul to the devil? Johnson’s sudden transformation caused the locals to speculate. In the movie, a Long Island guitar player—played by Karate Kid Ralph Macchio—idolizes Johnson and travels to Mississippi hunting for one of the legend’s lost songs. Traumatic childhood events such as abuse, neglect, and witnessing experiences like crime, parental conflict, mental illness, and substance abuse can result in long-term negative effects on learning, behavior and health. These musicologists claim that producers sped up Johnson’s records by as much as 20%. Some said he was shot by a jealous husband or stabbed by a woman. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. The reason he was called the devil is that in Christian religions there is a God and there is a devil. Director Martin Scorsese was quoted as saying “The thing about Robert Johnson was that he only existed on his records. He would always show up at the local juke to watch these two bluesmen. Music offered opportunity, excitement, travel and freedom. Robert shuffled between Mississippi and Arkansas while his mother sought work in the Delta’s numerous cotton plantations, punctuated by brief visits to Memphis. Speculation and rumor surround the event, but this much is certain: On August 15, 1938, Johnson performed at a barn dance outside Greenwood, Mississippi. The confusion around Johnson’s final resting place raises a question: What if there was more than one Robert Johnson? Hello Select your address Books Hello, Sign in. Dodds was often annoyed at him because he could very seldom find Robert at work in the fields. He running us crazy,’ Finally he left. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure…. In this tragic period, only one thing brought him any joy: Music. A friend of Virgie Jane’s, Eula Mae Williams, backed up the claim. It is a closeup of Johnson’s face, as if taken inside a photo booth. Some say he is buried under a pecan tree in Greenwood, Mississippi, while a cenotaph in Johnson’s honor stands in the Mount Zion Baptist Church cemetery in nearby Morganville. April 14, 2010 by trueblueser. A singer and guitarist, Johnson is considered to be one of … Johnson’s career could not have ended at a worse time. Johnson was not the first musician to strike such a Faustian bargain. Ulcers would have exacerbated the effects of the poison—resulting in a very unlikely, but very painful, end. Some of these mysteries have been answered. © Copyright 2021 by Factinate.com. But the one thing that always baffled me is why is playing music connected with the devil? How did he get so good so quickly? Until his passing in 2006, Lockwood served as Johnson’s torchbearer and last surviving student. As such, there’s no way to investigate McCormick’s claims, let alone the confession he supposedly obtained. Years active. We want our readers to trust us. He began to believe he was cursed, destined to be alone, and he resolved to abandon normal family life forever. He had a few peculiaritites. Folklorist John Hammond had already begun to track Johnson down, hoping to offer him a spot in the historic “From Spirituals to Swing” concert. Some debate remains, however, over Johnson’s true burial place. The success of “Terraplane Blues” was enough to necessitate a second recording session. But, as you can imagine, many darker theories exist. Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Skip to main content.com.au. The legend of Robert Johnson is one of the founding myths of both Delta Blues and Rock and Roll. Myths aside, Robert Johnson stood out for his complex personality and his technique. Where was he buried? Throughout all his travels, Robert Johnson always heard the same thing: “There goes that Robert Johnson who sold his soul to the devil.” For his part, he managed to live up to his dark reputation. His death was also a mystery until about twenty years ago. Sadly, this life was not to be, and both mother and child were lost in childbirth. The real legend about Robert Johnson surrounded his musical prowess. However, Charles was not his father. The way he died in 1938 at age 26 was as mysterious as his life. Johnson himself sometimes claimed to be a popular guitarist named Lonnie Johnson. If you look closely, you can see a copy of King of the Delta Blues Singers among the various records pictured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s 1965 album, Bringing It All Back Home. The truth about Dominic Cummings, writes Robert Peston. […] For a great in-depth article article about Robert Johnson check out “The Truth about Robert Johnson” from the Riverside Blues Society. He was pure legend." Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. No one could put a finger on it—but one thing was certain…. The eleventh child born to Julia Dodds, Robert’s brothers and sisters had all been born of a marriage between Julia and Charles Dodds. Johnson’s vivid performances inspired him to play the blues himself, and McKinley Morganfield became none other than Muddy Waters. Those who witnessed Johnson’s transformation included a young man named McKinley Morganfield. “Come on in My Kitchen” has a clear antecedent in “Sitting on Top of the World,” for instance, while “Dust My Broom” borrows from “I Believe I’ll Make a Change.” But no one who’d come before him did it quite like Robert Johnson. So if Legba was not God he must be the devil. In hoodoo magic he also was a teacher. Collectively, “Cross Road Blues,” “Me and the Devil Blues,” and “Hellhound on my Trail” tell the story of a man who befriends the devil and is now pursued by demons at every step. There have been numerous musicians over the years that have turned their backs on an audience during a show due to either shyness or potentially to hide some new technique. Johnson traveled to San Antonio, Texas, where Law had set up a makeshift recording studio in his hotel room. They placed a one-ton memorial in the shape of an obelisk, listing all of Johnson’s song titles, at this location in 1990. At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9., 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, Scandalous Facts About Old Hollywood Stars, "The Bride Kissed The Best Man" And Other Real-Life Wedding Disasters, Lawyers Share Their “Oh GOD” Moments In Court, These Mega Embarrassing Moments Still Made Us Burst Out Laughing, Plot Twist: These Surprise Endings Made Our Jaws Hit The Floor, Call The Burn Unit: These Epic Comebacks Are Deadly, Scandalous Facts About Catherine The Great, The Scarlet Empress, Lawyers Reveal Their Most Jaw-Dropping Court Cases, Catherine de Medici Was Utterly Ruthless—And She Paid A Terrible Price. It certainly seemed that way. Johnson’s career was just taking off when suddenly it came to a screeching halt. What else could explain his gift? In 2013, the Johnson family came forward to announce forensic artist Lois Gibson had authenticated a third picture of the legendary bluesman. With another blues guitarist named Johnny Shines, Johnson performed all over the United States and even into Canada, picking up friends, fans, and girlfriends along the way. For years, his real father was a complete mystery to him. It worked for Eddie Van Halen. Of all the guitarists to travel Depression-era Mississippi Delta, Robert Johnson was the most talented. Further songs like “If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day” signaled a grim fate for the singer. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. He’d do it anyway.”. In his teens he began to play the guitar. Learn more about ACEs and share the infographic below with others. It worked for Frank Sinatra. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways…. However this Faustian pact was not just attributed to musicians, it turns up in many Christian folk tales and usually has a moral ending with the fool who made the deal suffering eternal damnation. There are legends about his death. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. He was also the most mysterious. It should have been just the beginning of an enormous collection—but devil or no, Robert Johnson’s days were numbered. Folks said Johnson owed his otherworldly talent to a deal with a Devil himself—but how could anyone without a soul play like that? Historians have tried to find a likely cause for the tragedy. John Hammond, Dylan’s boss at Columbia Records, introduced him to Johnson’s music—the same John Hammond who tried to bring Johnson to Carnegie Hall years earlier. There may have been some confusion added to this debate by his namesake, Tommy Johnson. Audiences would have heard a much lower, slower version of Johnson’s songs. Certainly, any blues musician already strayed toward the dark side, and folks considered his tragically short-lived marriages proof that something had gone wrong between Robert Johnson and God. Robert was a teenager when he finally learned the true identity of his father—a sharecropper from Hazlehurst named Noah Johnson. The concert, held at Carnegie Hall, helped introduce Black artists like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Big Joe Turner to white audiences. A pact with the devil made Johnson very dangerous…and very exciting. I’ve always loved the Robert Johnson story about him selling his soul to the devil. Dissolved in a drink, it is mostly flavorless and has the power to leave the victim sick for several days. But the thing is since the rest of us, even with a lot of work, cannot do what they did, makes us unbelievers and we tend, as we always do, regard genius as something to be untrusted just because it’s different. While they were happy to share the stage with him, one problem remained—he sucked! Per blues custom, many of his songs were based on pre-existing tunes. But everywhere he went, the same dark whispers followed him…. Johnson’s star was on the rise—but it was going to burn out all too soon. We contend simply that both the learning of English and access to the curriculum may be speeded and enhanced by establishing ASL as the first language.”-Robert E. Johnson, Scott K. Liddell and Carol J. Erting, Unlocking the Curriculum: … Politics. Music Saved Him. Once again, several of the songs would become blues classics, including “Love in Vain” and “Milkcow’s Calf Blues.” The Dallas recordings brought Johnson’s total catalog to 29 songs. ( Log Out / Brexit. “Backward” clothing is powerful evidence that someone doctored the photo. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? It’s only right, then, that he remains as mysterious in death as he was in life. Probably by the barkeeper of the juke he played that night, who was sure that Robert was messing around with his wife. Ellegua, the African variation of this god, is associated with Legba since both share the role of being the god of the crossroads. If he didn’t sell his soul to the devil how did he became a master of the slide guitar so quickly? Virginia was just 16 years old at the time, but it wasn’t long before she was pregnant with the couple’s first child. Robert’s mother was Julia Major Dodds who was married to Charles Dodds. Johnson may have turned his back for both reasons. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Delta folklore held that, at midnight, at the crossroads of Highways 61 and 49, you could sell your soul in exchange for fame and fortune. Once he saved up enough to buy one of his own, Johnson begged the older musicians to let him play. One version of this rumour says that the wife of the juke joint owner gave the bottle of whiskey to Johnson herself, unaware it had been poisoned by her husband. Johnson had already mastered the harmonica and the jaw harp, but he knew if he wanted to make it as a bluesman, he needed a guitar. Sonny Boy Williamson I happened to be at the dance that night. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Any kind of virtuoso performance or incredible show of skill might be called a deal with the Devil. Don Law the man who recorded Johnson intimated just that in the sleeve notes to the album “King of the Delta Blues Singers”, saying that Robert was very young and extraordinarily shy. Riverside Top 10 for the Week of May 5th -12th. In these opposing images of the enigmatic bluesman, the only constant is his guitar. Their solution: Syphilis. Johnson studied these masters and dreamed of one day escaping the Leatherman Farm. Change ). Johnson’s mysterious life continues to loom large in popular culture. After trying for awhile and failing Johnson gave up and left. Eventually, Julia sent 3 year old Robert to live in Memphis with Dodds. Guitar, vocals, harmonica. Some of these women were already married. They would eventually reap the benefits of Johnson’s growing legacy—but years later, Johnson’s estate would suddenly get a lot more complicated. In the murky, mythic world of the delta blues, real truths are hard to come by. Robert Dodds, aka Robert Spencer, aka Robert Dusty, was barely 13 years old and already had a laundry list of aliases. Well in some cases it really isn’t the devil we are talking about. Charles Dodds was a landowner and furniture maker. Pastor Robert Johnson was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. If Johnson’s recorded legacy is limited, his photographic legacy is almost non-existent. Johnson’s first instrument was the harmonica. There are three burial sites with monuments of different sorts, at all of the sites just outside of Greenwood. Possible Associates Robert P Johnson could have been associated with Brenda Lihill Hill-Johnson… Robert Johnson – A True Blues Legend | BlueSurfdogz, http://arts.state.al.us/actc/1/listserverindividual/20110724zimmerman.htm, https://trueblueser.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/the-truth-about-robert-johnson/Tina, Riverside Top 10 for the Week of May 12th to 19th. He grins, a fedora tilted rakishly atop his head. It has been up to researchers and historians to do a lot of musical detective work. The three sites are Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church near Morgan City, Payne Chapel near Quito and Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Greenwood. These folks had great stories and lived interesting lives. Phone (514) 883-XXXX, (450) 482-XXXX, (770) 627-XXXX, (620) 522-XXXX . The questions started soon after. ( Log Out / In this tragic period, only one thing brought him any joy: … Finding new photographs of Robert Johnson has become something of a treasure hunt. New clothes? A lynch mob forced Charles to flee Mississippi for Memphis, and Robert was born of an affair not long after. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. It is funny that in the face of overwhelming odds and not much factual detail the legends persist. So even though he was Noah Johnson’s son he was raised by Dodds. Get there be sure to get there just a little ‘fore 12 that night so you know you’ll be there. People started to whisper that it was the devil come to collect his debt—but the truth might even be still darker. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. Unwilling to let the show go ahead without Johnson’s music, Hammond insisted on playing two of Johnson’s records onstage. Some of these relationships were regular as marriages. One song in particular from the Dallas recording sessions stands out. In 1931, he moved back to Hazlehurst looking for his father. Johnson was inducted as an “Early Influence” alongside “the Singing Brakeman” Jimmie Rodgers and boogie-woogie piano stylist Jimmy Yancey. For blues fans around the world, the name Robert Johnson has grown synonymous with mystery, even sorcery. Send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. The Truth About ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences): Infographic by RWJF Medically reviewed by Scientific Advisory Board — Written by Heather Gilmore, MSW, BCBA on February 8, 2015 This led to all kinds of speculation about his “evil eye.” He was also known to turn away from the audience while playing. Johnson knew better than to let the truth get in the way of a good story, however. Was he taller? The Truth about Robert Johnson. He drank too much, and sometimes disappeared in the middle of the night, not reappearing for weeks at a time. Johnson’s past was dark and mysterious, and with no obvious cause, rumors began to swirl. The most famous is a professional publicity photo: Johnson, in a sharply cut suit, sits as if in the middle of a performance. Then just beginning his career, Law would go on to work at Columbia Records, producing for country artists like Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins. With his true parentage finally revealed, he officially renamed himself Robert Johnson. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. Thanks for your help! He’s running people crazy with it!’ I’d come back in, and I’d scold him about it, ‘ Don’t do that Robert. And true to form, a woman fan of Kreisler once gushed, “Mr. Age 75 years old . Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIII’s first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Dec 27, 2016 - Director Martin Scorsese was quoted as saying "The thing about Robert Johnson was that he only existed on his records. Had the devil finally come to collect his debt? Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. There he attended Airborne School and received "Jump Wings" which was the drive for joining Military training. Now that he was the best guitarist, the best singer, and the best showman in Mississippi, Johnson was finally good enough to make a living as a traveling musician. Robert Johnson At 100, Still Dispelling Myths Despite hardy rumors that the bluesman sold his soul to the devil, Johnson's most important legacy is … When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Unfortunately, outside scrutiny often proves these to be fakes. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history. The subject of several documentaries, he also figures prominently in the 1986 movie Crossroads. […], Regarding virtuosity and selling one’s soul, and Paganini: Fritz Kreisler was another of those astonishing violin virtuosos. Johnson’s sudden, mysterious transformation from annoying noisemaker to master bluesman sparked disturbing rumors—rumors that defined the legend of Robert Johnson forever. It is seldom fatal, unless the victim is suffering ulcers. “How could a kid who was so awful disappear for a year and return and be as good as he was now? Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Quick Review: Joan Osborne – Bring It On Home. Legba was an Haitian god. It worked for Jimi Hendrix. As we have seen with confusion over whether Johnson was born in 1911 or 1912 there is now reason to believe he was gone for two years. Because photographic records of Johnson are so rare, a new picture could be worth a fortune. The signs were already there, but Johnson’s own compositions provided fuel to the rumors of his deal with the devil. The album became a Rosetta Stone for a generation of American and British teenagers just discovering the blues. His only chance really to avoid a very hard life with little reward. It seemed Robert Johnson would lead regular life—but fate had other plans. He had no earthly possessions, except his guitar. Williamson tried to stop Johnson from drinking the tainted beverage only to be scolded: “Man, don’t ever knock a bottle out of my hand,” Johnson growled, before taking a drink. Posted in Blues History, Music | Tagged Blues, Delta, Greenwood, Mississippi, Robert Johnson, Son House, Tommy Johnson, Willie Brown | 7 Comments. “If you want to learn how to make songs yourself, you take your guitar and you go to where the road crosses that way, where a crossroads is. A 67-year-old truck driver from Crystal Springs, Mississippi, Johnson claimed that his mother, Virgie Jane Smith, had shared a long (though characteristically informal) relationship with the blues singer.