Robert Leroy Johnson, an American country singer, is one of the most famous performers of classical blues. The musician was born on May 8, 1911 in the city of Hazelhurst, Mississippi, USA. Robert Johnson, whose biography abounded with endless transfers from place to place, first with his parents, and then independently, from childhood, dreamed of the blues.
Robert Johnson picked up a guitar when he was barely 13 years old. He completely did not know the technique of the game, only sat and spent hours playing through the strings. The stubbornness of the teenager was explained by the persistent character that he inherited from his father. And if Robert decided to achieve something, then he was sure to try to achieve his goal. In the end, it happened, but not right away.
Attempts to master the tool
The guitar in the hands of the teenager did not want to sound, and, except for unintelligible strumming, no sounds could be extracted. However, the desire to ever play the blues was so strong that Robert continued to torment the strings. To get closer to the art of spirituals, gospel, boogie-woogie, the young man met with two professional blues artists, Willie Brown and Sun House. Both musicians took a lively part in Johnson’s fate, but they couldn’t teach him how to play the guitar.
Plantation work
In the end, nineteen-year-old Robert was forced to give up his dream and move to another state, where he could earn a living by removing cotton. Now the young African American picked up his guitar only in the evenings, after work. The instrument still did not listen, the music did not work. This went on for more than a year. And since Robert believed in God, every time he attended church, he prayed and asked the Almighty to send him musical talent, while promising to play several gospels at once for the glory of the Lord.
Inspiration
Perhaps God heard him, but only suddenly one Sunday, when Robert Johnson returned from church and out of habit began to play something on the guitar while humming, he felt that he was getting some kind of melody. Inspired by the success that he had been waiting for so long, Johnson began repeating the phrase he had just invented, and he made a song. He immediately came up with a refrain. For several evenings, the future musician rehearsed, and in the end a composition was created that was created according to all the rules of blues. It was that famous Hellhound On My Trail, which later became one of Robert Johnson’s few songs. The first luck gave strength, and the novice musician with renewed vigor set to work.
The next few nights went on to create two more songs, Cross Road Blues and Me And The Devil Blues. Johnson was happy, he succeeded, the dream of a lifetime came true. Now Robert Johnson, whose music finally took shape, could compose and perform the blues. As soon as the cotton picking was over, he hurried to his friends. Sun House and Willy Brown were glad to see their youngest friend, but did not want to listen to his playing the guitar.
Confession
And only when Robert insisted, played and sang all his songs, his friends sat for a long time with their mouths open, not understanding anything. In order to somehow explain his successes in music, he urgently invented a parable about how he met the devil at the crossroads of two roads, sold his soul to him and he taught him to play the guitar and sing the blues. Friends laughed, but congratulated Johnson and invited to speak with them.
First performances
Since then, the musicians have not parted. Robert played acoustic country blues and composed tunes. Musicologists call Johnson the connecting thread between Chicago and the Delta Blues, although, strictly speaking, these two styles do not need to be connected, each lives his own life. Delta blues is softer, more melodious, with a good share of melancholy, while Chicago, on the contrary, is full of jerky notes, syncopated musical phrases and long guitar solos turning into crescendos.
Studio recordings
The art of Robert Johnson was at first as unpretentious as the songs of most other blues artists. The same primitive texts from a heap of meaningless phrases, but his music was completely different, deep and melodic. Johnson recorded a little, the last time he was seen in the studio on July 20, 1937. From the 15th to the 20th, he managed to record 13 songs, which were later released as a separate album.
Recording quality
The authority of Robert Johnson as the performer of the blues of the new wave grew by leaps and bounds. His first recording session took place in November 1936 at a studio in San Antonio , Texas. At that time, the equipment was primitive, the cutter made a sound track on an aluminum disc, the sound quality left much to be desired. But the singer liked how his voice sounds, and he sat by the apparatus until late at night.
First fee
After some time, Johnson was invited to the American Record, one of the leading record companies in the United States. This invitation looked a bit unusual. At that time, blues was practically not recorded, only jazz was popular. However, as part of this invitation, Robert Johnson performed eight of his songs, which were recorded in good quality. A few days later, the session was continued, and the song "Blues 32-20" was recorded. Then Johnson was paid a fee for his work.
Folk music researcher Bob Groom wrote in his article: “The musician Johnson is at a crossroads in the development of the genre. He has the delta blues behind him and the Chicago one ahead.” He looked into the water like Robert did.
Failed performance
Robert Johnson, whose blues sounded both in the delta style and in the Chicago style, did not distinguish between them. Maybe that’s why the musician became the top of the blues of the late thirties of the last century. The talent of an already fully formed bluesman was noticed by jazz producer John Hammond. He decided to invite Johnson to participate in his project, several autumn concerts of genuine "black" music, which he organized in order to demonstrate the evolution of American culture in this direction.
Many agents began to search for the singer. Robert Johnson, whose photo was received by all couriers, did not appear anywhere. Dozens of people were looking for the bluesman, and by this time he was already in the grave. The musician died on August 16, 1938 at the age of 27.
Singer's death story
On that memorable day, Johnson ended up in a village called Triple Fork. The place was located a few kilometers from Greenwood, a small town in southern Mississippi. At the entrance to the village was a drinking establishment with music, a bar and a dance floor. Visitors were met by a beautiful mulatto, who did not hide her sympathy for Robert. He, too, was not averse to having fun, and the young people agreed to meet in the evening.
Robert Johnson flirted with might and main, and he was closely watched by the owner of the institution, a cruel jealous man who considered the mulatto his wife. Robert took the guitar and began to do his usual business, playing blues. Nothing boded ill, until the singer was sent a bottle of whiskey in recognition of his talent, but for some reason open. Johnson took a sip of several sips and after a few hours he was unconsciously taken away by ambulance to the city. The poisoned drink did not act immediately, the musician died only on the third day. Thus ended the life of the famous bluesman.