This was one of the best articles I’ve ever read I loves wonderopolis!!!!! The legend says he stood at the crossroads for a long time. With Robert Johnson, Terry Harmonica Bean, Rory Block, Yvonne Chireau. That classic Robert Johnson Crossroads location, where he died. House recalled: "He blew a harmonica and he was pretty good with that, but he wanted to play guitar ... such a racket you never heard! He says, “Stand up, Robert Johnson. Tell everybody about Wonderopolis and its wonders. IT WAS TOMMY JOHNSON, NOT ROBERT JOHNSON The crossroads ritual is currently best known in popular American culture through the recent acceptance of a spurious legend that the famous 1930s blues singer Robert Johnson claimed that he had learned how to play guitar by selling his soul to the devilat the crossroads, somewhere in Mississippi. Ask an adult friend or family member if they know any legends that they can share with you! the weirdest part is that a slave rose up and became a blues musician. Myths aside, Robert Johnson stood out for his complex personality and his technique. {I guess you could say that this Wonder was..} {DEVILISHLY MUSICAL!}. How about Mulan or John Henry? Some 20th-century blues songs, such as Sold It to the Devil by Black Spider Dumpling (John D. Twitty), may be about making a deal with the devil at the crossroads. Robert Johnson passed away when he was 27 years old. Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil to become a great Blues musician. Researching blues and guitar music brings famed Robert Johnson's mythically creative acclaim to his attention; especially intriguing are the legends surrounding exactly how Johnson became so talented – most notably the one claiming he "sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads", as well as a famed "missing song" that was lost, supposedly evermore, to the world. There are people in Mississippi who would tell you he traded his soul to become a great Blues singer. Robert had been messing around with the owner's wife. the Wonder of the Day® via email or SMS. Robert Johnson’s Grave . We've been talking about these figures for so long that they are now legends! Though he was little known in his own lifetime, his music began to be rediscovered in the 1960s, according to Biography, thanks to the re-release of a selection of his recordings on the album The King of the Delta Blues Singers, which fell into the hands of a new generation of musicians. Directed by Brian Oakes. He kept practicing, but no matter how hard he tried, he didn't seem to improve. Robert Johnson surprised everyone when he suddenly became a very talented musician. The origin of the legend of Johnson's pact with the Devil is to be found in the fact that the aspiring musician somehow managed to transform himself from being "embarrassingly bad" at the guitar into a blues master in such a short period. As for Johnson himself, he sang that he "went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees," possibly lending some truth to the legend. It was Son House (pictured above) — whose talent the young Johnson "coveted," according to Open Culture – who has been one of the most prominent proponents of the Faustian legend. What killed him? He was the founder of rock ‘n’ roll. We know many legends about real people! We did it! It was released on April 26, 2019 on Netflix streaming. The archetype of desperate people making deals with the Devil is common in legends. A look at the short, mysterious life of blues legend, Robert Johnson, who was said to have made a deal with the Devil at a crossroads in rural Mississippi. ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads is a 2019 documentary film about Robert Johnson, the blues singer, songwriter and musician. Don’t miss our special deals, gifts and promotions. As The Guardian points out, the same legend was attached to the Italian master violinist Niccolo Paginini in the early 19th century, and was even told about one of Johnson's blues contemporaries, Thomas Johnson (no relation), who died in 1956 at the age of 60. He was carried back to his hotel room in dire need of medical attention. Interested in sharing Wonderopolis® every day? For the legend is that Johnson entered into a Faustian pact: that his great ability as a guitarist and vocalist was down to Johnson selling his soul to the devil, a deal which took place at the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 in Mississippi, according to how the legend is recounted by Biography. Others would say Robert Johnson never went to the crossroads at all. Today, we know him as one of the greatest Blues musicians of all time. Researcher Bruce Conforth has identified Johnson's guitar teacher: blues musician Ike Zimmerman. Those who believe the legend say the man in black was the Devil. The crossroads of Robert Johnson’s time was rural and dirt - no more. Thanks for sharing this was a really cool and amazing article. 'Get that guitar away from that boy,' people would say.". He spent the rest of his life playing music. 2014–2020 © National Center for Families Learning, http://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-happened-to-robert-johnson-at-the-crossroads, © National Center for Families Learning (NCFL). With that, Robert Johnson headed North to Rosedale and sealed his contract with The Devil. What really happened to Robert Johnson at the crossroads? Thankfully (or not), this version of the story also has a creepy edge; Conforth states that Johnson often took lessons from Zimmerman in local cemeteries, practicing atop the tombstones, where they wouldn't be disturbed. He started playing music when he was young, but his early music impressed no one. The Devil agreed, on one condition. To cut a long story short, Robert Johnson recorded several hit blues songs in the late 1930’s, which made him something of a legend. Unfortunately, by the time the invitation reached Mississippi, Robert Johnson had passed away. Today he is recognized as one of the most important innovators of the Delta blues. The man stands up, tall, barrel-chested, and black as the forever-closed eyes of Robert Johnson’s stillborn baby, and walks out to the middle of the crossroads where Robert Johnson kneels. Robert Johnson begged the Devil to make him a talented musician. anna for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic! So sings the Delta blues musician Robert Johnson in his characteristically ethereal tone on "Cross Road Blues," one of only 29 songs that the mysterious figure recorded in his short lifetime. Biography tells us how House recalled Johnson disappearing in Clarksdale, Mississippi, close to the now legendary crossroads at Highways 49 and 61, for "a few weeks," before re-emerging in public with his signature blues guitar style. Lyrics such as these have helped create one of the most enduring legends in the world of popular music. But what was it about Robert Johnson that made him such a suitable receptacle for this most seductive legend? Premise. He’d drank whisky laced … People say Robert Johnson went out one night to the crossroads of two highways in the Mississippi Delta. But according to those who knew Johnson, guitar did not come to him easily. He was moved from house to house as a boy and abused by his stepfather. In fact, when Johnson played, people swore they heard TWO guitars. At exactly midnight, a large man dressed in black appeared. If you recognize any of these names, you probably know they were all real people. His influence on contemporaries was much smaller, in part because he was an itinerant performer—playing mostly on street corners, in juke joints, and at Saturday night dances—who worked in a then undervalued style of music. Legends are created when people retell stories and add details to them that aren't true. At this time in the south, no white doctor would see a black patient, and no black doctors would see Robert because of the crossroads rumor. It is a paved intersection and you have to brave traffic to get there. well, i told blues fans and musicians, that were even only slightly familiar with the name robert johnson, that the devil subject on crossroad blues is pure monkey junk, that satisfies the strange craving for myths and storytelling. The solo Eric Clapton played on that song may be … We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Who was playing with him? Thanks for your patience. We bet you know the stories of Johnny Appleseed and Pocahontas. No one ever saw the second guitarist, leading many to believe the Devil himself was playing alongside Johnson. Johnson has had enormous impact on music and musicians, but outside his own time and place and even the genre for which he was famous. Wow the devil is in this wonder he’s fake by the way ‍♂️, https://www.npr.org/2011/05/07/136063911/robert-johnson-at-100-still-dispelling-myths, https://www.biography.com/people/robert-johnson-9356324, https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/devils-music-myth-robert-johnson/, a low triangular area where a river divides before entering a larger body of water, a repeated symbol or pattern in literature, art, or mythology, a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events, based on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity, a type of folksong that originated among Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century; has a melancholy sound from repeated use of blue notes, an explorer, often with the goal of finding something or somebody. Tales of Faustian pacts are nothing new. Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Carson from Columbus, OH. Johnson, though well-traveled and admired in his performances, was little noted in hi… That's where the legend of Robert Johnson and the crossroads begins. The quality of Robert Johnson's blues performances — those few that were recorded — has never been up for debate. That’s not quite what happened, of course, but every legendary figure needs some lore. "Cross Road Blues" (also known as "Crossroads") is a blues song written and recorded by American blues artist Robert Johnson in 1936. Johnson lived in the Mississippi Delta in the early 1900s. On August 16, 1938 Robert Johnson, the king of the Delta Blues died. When Robert Johnson reappeared in the Mississippi Delta music scene, he was a talented Blues musician. Most people assume that this part of the story is fabricated. He died on Aug. 16, 1938 under some awful circumstances. Indeed, it is this point that many believe has made the legend of his pact with the devil stick around as long as it has. He was only 27. After relocating to the Mississippi Delta, Johnson's interest in music was noticed by blues legend Son House, who would become the young musician's hero. A legend is a story that starts out as true but then takes on mythical traits. Then one day, Johnson disappeared. Robert Johnson was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta and began playing guitar in the 1920's. Standards: No one was sure where he was. According to udiscovermusic, Johnson's first experience of playing the guitar was learning the basics from his brother as a small child living with his family in Memphis. The legend says he stood at the crossroads for a long time. That's where the legend of Robert Johnson and the crossroads begins. Johnson died the following year in Greenwood, Mississippi, supposedly poisoned by a jealous husband of one of his mistresses. We go in search of the REAL Devil's Crossroads from the famed Urban Legend where legendary Blues musician Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil. Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member! In accordance with this tale, Robert Johnson was reported to have disappeared for several weeks, returning as one of the most legendary and inspirational blues musicians to have graced the genre. For about six months, the Mississippi Delta was free from the racket of Robert Johnson's music. You’ve matched all of the definitions correctly. Tales of Faustian pacts are nothing new. Robert Johnson recorded “Crossroads Blues” in 1936, and it shows the amazing interplay between his guitar and voice: The guitar swooping in and around his vocals. However, we do know that Robert Johnson never gave up on his music, even when no one believed in him. At exactly midnight, a large man dressed in black appeared. Something that distinguished him from the other great blues players of the day was his ability to incorporate different styles of music into his own expression. Among them was Bob Dylan, who wrote that Johnson's "words made my nerves quiver like piano wires." This is so cool I never knew about Robert Johnson. A hefty chunk of Robert Johnson’s music was never recorded; many more of his songs were only heard by patrons of some long forgotten juke joint in the Delta countryside. In a cruel irony, the fame he so sought, in the end, was what killed him. And why does his story endure, like his music, almost a century later? Those who believe the legend say the man in black was the Devil. Help spread the wonder of families learning together. i loves wonderopilis, THIS ARTICLE IS SO COOL! What Happened With Robert Johnson And The Crossroads. Often, these details come from the storytellers' spiritual or religious beliefs. Unfortunately he died shortly after recording these songs at the young age of 27. Some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature ‘ n ’ Roll, Chireau! 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