Robert Johnson: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Robert Leroy Johnson, American country music singer, is one of the most famous classical blues singers. The musician was born on May 8, 1911 in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, USA. Robert Johnson, whose biography was replete with endless moving from place to place, first with his parents, and then on his own, dreamed of the blues since childhood.

Robert Johnson picked up the guitar when he was barely 13 years old. He did not master the technique of playing at all, he only sat and plucked the strings for hours. 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 always tried to achieve his goal. In the end it happened, but not immediately.

Attempts to master the instrument

The guitar in the hands of a teenager did not want to sound at all, and, apart from an unintelligible strumming, no sounds could be extracted. However, the desire to someday play the blues was so strong that Robert continued to torment the strings. To be closer tothe art of spirituals, gospel, boogie-woogie, the young man met two professional blues performers, Willie Brown and Sun House. Both musicians took an active part in the fate of Johnson, but they could not 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 picking cotton. Now the young African American picked up the guitar only in the evenings, after work. The instrument still did not obey, the music did not work. This went on for over a year. And since Robert believed in God, every time he visited church, he prayed and asked the Almighty to send him a musical talent, while promising to play several gospel songs at once for the glory of God.

Illumination

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 and hum at the same time, he felt that he was getting some kind of melody. Inspired by the success he had been waiting for, Johnson began to repeat the newly invented musical phrase over and over again, and he got a song. He immediately came up with a chorus. For several evenings, the future musician rehearsed, and in the end a composition created according to all the rules of the blues was born. It was the very famous Hellhound On My Trail, which later entered the list of the few songs of Robert Johnson. The first luck gave strength, and the novice musician with redoubled energyset to work.

The next few evenings were spent creating 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 had finally taken shape, could compose and perform the blues. As soon as the cotton harvest was over, he hurried to his friends. Sun House and Willie Brown were glad to see their younger friend, but did not want to listen to his guitar playing.

Recognition

And only when Robert insisted, played and sang all his songs, his friends sat with their mouths open for a long time, not understanding anything. In order to somehow explain his success in music, he urgently came up with 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 him to perform with them.

First performances

Since then, the musicians have not parted. Robert played acoustic country blues and composed melodies. Musicologists call Johnson the link between Chicago and Delta blues, although, strictly speaking, these two styles do not need to be connected, each lives its own life. Delta blues is softer, more melodious and melancholy, while Chicago blues is full of staccato notes, syncopated musical phrases and long crescendo guitar solos.

Studio recordings

Robert Johnson's art was the same at firstunpretentious, like the songs of most other blues artists. The same primitive texts from a pile of meaningless phrases, but his music was completely different, deep and melodic. Johnson recorded 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.

Record quality

The authority of Robert Johnson as a performer of the new wave blues grew by leaps and bounds. His first recording session took place in November 1936 in a studio in San Antonio, Texas. At that time, the equipment was primitive, the cutter made a sound track on an aluminum disk, the sound quality left much to be desired. But the singer liked the sound of his voice, and he sat by the phone until late at night.

First fee

After some time, Johnson was invited to "American Record", one of the leading US record companies. This invitation looked somewhat unusual. At that time, the 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 continued, and the song "Blues 32-20" was recorded. At the same time, Johnson was paid a fee for his work.

Folk music researcher Bob Groom wrote in his article: "Musician Johnson stands at a crossroads in the development of the genre. Behind him - delta blues, ahead - Chicago." He's like waterI looked, Robert did it.

Canceled performance

Robert Johnson, whose blues sounded both Delta and Chicago, made no distinction between the two. Maybe that's why the musician became the pinnacle of the blues of the late thirties of the last century. The talent of the 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 authentic "black" music, which he hosted 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 Bluesman, and by this time he was already in the grave. The musician died on August 16, 1938 at the age of 27.

Singer death story

On that memorable day, Johnson ended up in a village called Triple Fork. The place was located a few miles from Greenwood, a small town in southern Mississippi. At the entrance to the village there was a drinking establishment with music, a bar and a dance floor. The visitors were greeted by a beautiful mulatto who did not hide her sympathy for Robert. He was also not averse to having fun, and the young people agreed to meet in the evening.

Robert Johnson was flirting with might and main, and the owner of the establishment, a cruel jealous man, who considered the mulatto as his wife, was closely watching him. Robert took the guitar and went about his usual business,play the blues. Nothing foreshadowed trouble until the singer was sent a bottle of whiskey in recognition of his talent, but for some reason open. Johnson drank a few sips and a few hours later he was taken unconscious in an ambulance to the city. The poisoned drink did not work immediately, the musician died only on the third day. Thus ended the life of the famous bluesman.