The legend of Robert Johnson and the Devil
When someone famous or someone really talented dies young, that always makes people to come up with their own theories about what exactly happened. Those theories are often related to conspiracy or some dark secrets of deceased artists and, off course, you can also find many "faking death" theories. Those are actually cool. When I was younger, I dreamed about becoming world famous record producer, then faking my death before fleeing to Cuba, lying on sunshine, smoking cigars with Elvis, Tupac, Mike and John Paul II.
The most interesting theories are those about famous Club 27. Deaths of several famous musicians at the age of 27 is a weird coincidence, but also people are always afraid of something supernatural. So that's how many urban legends were made.
People started taking Club 27 seriously when 4 world famous artist died between 1969 and 1971. Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison... all at the age of 27. Many years later Kurt Cobain and more years later Amy Winehouse. Many many less famous but still famous artist between them.
But many years before, there was Robert Johnson.
He was the master of blues and many people consider him as one of the best guitarists who ever lived.
This singer, songwriter and guitar player was born in the 1911 in Haziehurst, Mississippi, and he was meant to be a farmer. But he loved music more and dreamed about abandoning the life of a farmer. They said that his first wife died at the childbirth at the age of 16 and that his was a divine punishment for Johnson leaving the farm life. However, some musicians stated that at the time around 1929, Johnson was singing and playing harmonica but he sucked at playing the guitar. He was so bad that people couldn't stand there when he took a guitar. Then he moved to Martinsville, where Isaiah "Ike" Zimmerman showed him few tricks. And this is where the legend begins!
So about that devil...
People were saying that Zimmerman learned to play guitar while practicing on the graveyards in the nights. So they say that is was possible that he directed Johnson to that crossroad. Others claim that Johnson had a dream in which he was instructed to do so. He came at the crossroads which possibly doesn't exist today, with his guitar. Then, a big dark man approached him and tuned his guitar. When Johnson came home, he already became the best guitarist who ever lived.
That was the legend of Robert Johnson selling his soul for the gift of playing guitar. Some claim that the big dark man was Satan, others say that it was Voodoo god Papa Legba. In his song "Crossroad" Johnson refers to God, so some claim that actually God came to tune his guitar.
However, Robert Johnson became walking singer, he traveled from town to town showing his new mastery.
He had concerts in each town between Memphis and Helena, met a lot of musicians, gained popularity and a lot of fans. He recorded 16 songs in 1936 and that was his only recorded material. It is unbelievable how those tracks had strong impact on the music that came afterwards. People say that Johnson helped to define Rock'n'Roll more than any artist from his age.
He died at the age of 27 of unknown causes.
His life wan't well documented but people say that he got ito fight or the most probably that he was poisoned. But the most spooky theory is that the big dark man came back for Johnson to take him.
The weirdest...
None of these musicians from Club 27 were ever normal with the ordinary human behavior, nor they died normally. All those deaths were caused violently, suicides or drug overdoses. Their way of life didn't allow them to live longer. People die, musicians die, why is so strange that many of them died at the age of 27?
But still, even today, many people claim that they all singed that contract, sold their souls for their talents and, at the age of 27, time was up!
Thank you!!!
And many years before Johnson was Franz Liszt...
The Devil is always willing to make a deal my friend...
Yes, I know about Franz but this legend about Johnson is especially spooky because you can hear in his songs that something was wrong with his God/Devil perception. I am glad to be 32 and not-so-popular musician :))) but sooner or later, each of us comes on crossroads. Crossroads also means that you have a choice.
In deed we do :)
Steem on my friend...
Thank you! :)
I never heard of him! But now I am very interested in watching the movie. And the contract with the devil theory is legitimately spooky.
Guitar has come a long way since Johnson.
Very interesting must have watched Johnson life when they wrote the script for "Crossroads1986" good post.
The legend about Robert Johnson's soul sold to the devil, inspired the movie "Crossroads" where Ralph Macchio's character plays in a guitar contest to save Willie Brown's soul from the devil. The final duel (Ralph Macchio vs Steve Vai) is a kind of unreal duel as anyone who did know Steve Vai's technique also knew that had no sense on making play Ralph Macchio in front of Vai. Actually the fake parts of Macchio's, where played by Arlen Roth, Ry Cooder and Bill Kanengiser.
This is the final duel of the film.
Robert Johnson is also known as the first bluesman who recorded the song "Sweet Song Chicago" even that documentation can credit that is not of his own, that it used to be played by others before he recorded it. This song, is still a blues standart, played by most of blues cover bands. It has also been covered by many famous bands.
This is the first recording of the song
And here an "all star" blues band honoring the song
Great Robert Johnson. We have blues and Rock & Roll because of him (and some others).
this is such a cool addition to the original post
Thanks @big.mama !
This is indeed a weird thing that many musicians died at the age of 27. As their death is caused by overdosed, drugs and suicide so it is not coming incidence. It is a strange mystery which may be resolved at some latter stage. Hope for the best.
Possible! Thank you!
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We can only speculate and will never know for sure. It may be that the big dark men was actually their huge talent within their soul . Because of that talent and their strong urge to express themselves they lived a very intensive lives. And by 27 they were 2 old to rock´n´roll but not 2 young to die.
It is a popular theme in music here. Of course Crossroads is obvious. Also "the Devil Went Down to Georgia"
Nice post I like it