Robert Johnson and the Delta Blues

The Blues Had A Baby And They Named It Rock and Roll.” This song, written by the famous Blues musician Muddy Waters, displays how essential the Blues were in shaping the Rock and Roll music we know today. One of the most influential Blues singers went by the name Robert Johnson. Although this Delta Blues musician lived an extremely short and successful life, there are still many mysteries surrounding him today. This paper will shine light on the unknown history of Robert Johnson, while also analyzing one of his and one of Charlie Patton’s songs and the impact Delta Blues had on Rock and Roll.

While Robert Johnson is known by some as the greatest Folk Blues guitar player, singer, and songwriter to ever live, he is most famous for his mysterious death at the age of 27. Robert was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi during the year 1911. He spent most of his early life living on the Abbay Leatherman Plantation with his mother and father learning to play the guitar and harmonica. He would try to pick up any techniques from other blues artists who came through town such as Charlie Patton, Willie Brown, and Son House. He refused to work in the cotton fields, and instead spent his time playing music at house parties and juke joints for drinks. This eventually led to Robert abusing alcohol, but that didn’t stop him from singing. In fact, one myth about Robert’s death involved his tendency to single out a random woman in the crowd and sing specifically to her, regardless of who she was with. As he grew older, his guitar and musical skills improved to the point where others started to say he sold his soul to the devil, and this was believed to be true because he never denied it. While there are many rumors surrounding the mystery of Robert Johnson’s death, it is believed that a jealous boyfriend of one of his ex-girlfriends poisoned him. After being poisoned, he lived another 3 days before dying at the exact moment he was told of his booking to perform at Carnegie Hall....