Robert Johnson has been called the father of modern rock and roll. He was born May 8, 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, the illegitimate child of Julia Dodds and Noah Johnson. In his early teens, Robert took an interest in music. He had not been a particularly good student and poor eyesight afforded him an excuse to quit school. Robert was a good looking boy, popular with the girls. In February of 1929 he married Virginia Travis in Penton, Mississippi. In April of 1930 both Virginia and their baby died during childbirth. Robert married Calletta "Callie" Craft in Copiah County, Mississippi in May 1931 and later abandoned her.
According to Blues folklore, while standing at a crossroads in the Mississippi Delta, Robert sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for mastery of the guitar. When Johnson arrived in a new town, he would play on the streets for spare change. His first recording session was in November 1936 and yielded the song for which he is most widely remembered, "Terraplane Blues." Only 11 recordings on 78 rpm records were issued during Johnson's lifetime and one posthumously.
This most famous Delta Blues musician is considered to have been a huge influence on rock-and-roll. His vocal phrasing, original songs, and guitar style influenced a wide range of musicians, such as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers Band, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and The White Stripes among others.
Always the ladies man, Johnson may have been poisoned for getting too close to somebody else's woman. Johnson died in Greenwood, Mississippi on August 16, 1938. He was buried in the graveyard of the Little Zion Church. Although his life was short, his music served as the source for generations of blues and rock and roll musicians.
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