Robert johnson blues musician biography worksheet

Robert Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest blues performers of all time. Part of his mythology is a story of how he gained his musical talents by making a bargain with the devil. He died at age 27 as the suspected victim of a deliberate poisoning. A singer and guitarist, Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest blues performers of all time.

But this recognition came to him largely after his death. During his brief career, Johnson traveled around, playing wherever he could. The acclaim for Johnson's work is based on the 29 songs that he wrote and recorded in Dallas and San Antonio from to Johnson came to the attention of many musicians and won over new fans with a reissue of his work in the s.

Another retrospective collection of his recordings released in the s sold millions of copies. But much of Johnson's life is shrouded in mystery.

Much of Robert Johnson's life is cloaked in mystery, but there is little doubt of his impact on American music.

Part of the lasting mythology around him is a story of how he gained his musical talents by making a bargain with the devil: Son House, a famed blues musician and a contemporary of Johnson, claimed after Johnson achieved fame that the musician had previously been a decent harmonica player, but a terrible guitarist—that is, until Johnson disappeared for a few weeks in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Legend has it that Johnson took his guitar to the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61, where he made a deal with the devil, who retuned his guitar in exchange for his soul. Strangely enough, Johnson returned with an impressive technique and, eventually, gained renown as a master of the blues. While his reported "deal with the devil" may be unlikely, it is true that Johnson died at an early age.

Only 27, Johnson died on August 16, , as the suspected victim of a deliberate poisoning. Several movies and documentaries have tried to shed light on this enigmatic blues legend, including Can't You Hear the Wind Howl?