“I dabbled in things like Howlin’ Wolf, Cream and Led Zeppelin, but when I heard Son House and Robert Johnson, it blew my mind. It was something I’d been missing my whole life. That music made me discard everything else and just get down to the soul and honesty of the blues.” – Jack White

“The most important blues singer that ever lived” – Eric Clapton

Robert Johnson was and is a figure that always seems surrounded by mystique. From the intensely private manor in which he lived his life to his mysterious death, the story of his life seems mythological. The common story that’s told is that Johnson was never a particularly skilled guitar player until he traded his soul with the devil for his picking abilities at a crossroads in Mississippi. It has been over 100 years since his birth, and although he only lived to the young age of 27, music as we know it would be drastically different without him.

Despite his legendary status, Johnson only recorded 29 tracks, some of which featured on his only studio album, The King of the Delta Blues Singers. His rigid 12-bar-blues style seemed to influence an array of future blues stars. Cover recordings of his work were released from artists such as Muddy Waters and Elmore James and it is widely thought that his style was seminal in 60s rock n’ roll. Eric Clapton has famously said that he would not speak to someone who did not listen to Robert Johnson until he was 25.

His multi-tasking picking style was revolutionary. The instrumentation on his tracks is just vocals and guitar which gives credit to his distinctive crooning voice and incomparable guitar ability.

The legend became a permanent part of musical history when he died in 1938. He was allegedly poisoned by a husband of a woman which had caught his renowned wandering eye. The mysterious death only adds to the mystery: Did Lucifer come to collect the afore mentioned debt?

After his death, the music industry would see groups like The Rolling Stones and Led Zepplin cover Johnson’s songs showing his lasting influence on world music. 100 years after his birth, Robert Johnson’s music still remains relevant whether it be his album or his earlier work.

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