Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson was an American blues musician (1911–1938) whose small recorded output became enormously influential on rock and blues guitar.
His virtuosic playing and songs like "Cross Road Blues" and "Hellhound on My Trail" spawned legends that he had sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in exchange for his talent.
He died young under mysterious circumstances, becoming a template for the tortured blues artist.
Alluvial formation at mouth
- MississippiSouthern state or major river
- slide guitarStringed instrument with gliding bar
- Muddy WatersChicago blues founding figure
- B.B. KingBlues guitarist icon
work songs · spirituals · juke joint · acoustic · fingerpicking · bottleneck · open tuning · plantation
Meeting of routes
- deal with the devilUnholy exchange for advantage
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
- curseInvoked harm through words
- hauntingDisturbingly unforgettable
enigma · mythos · 27 Club · phantom · occult · hellhound · iconic · lore
Stringed instrument's neck face
- fingerstylePlucking strings directly
- tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
- acousticRelating to sound
- chordsSimultaneous note combinations
riff · solo · tablature · luthier · technique · Kalamazoo · Gibson · picking
What's passed down
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- progenitorAncestor or originator
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- precursorSomething that comes first
Eric Clapton · Keith Richards · Led Zeppelin · Rolling Stones · rock and roll · British Invasion · covered · sampled
Delta
Alluvial formation at mouth
- MississippiSouthern state or major river
- slide guitarStringed instrument with gliding bar
- Muddy WatersChicago blues founding figure
B.B. King · work songs · spirituals · juke joint · acoustic · fingerpicking · bottleneck · open tuning · plantation · cotton
crossroads
Meeting of routes
- deal with the devilUnholy exchange for advantage
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
- curseInvoked harm through words
haunting · enigma · mythos · 27 Club · phantom · occult · hellhound · iconic · lore · mythology
fretboard
Stringed instrument's neck face
- fingerstylePlucking strings directly
- tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
- acousticRelating to sound
chords · riff · solo · tablature · luthier · technique · Kalamazoo · Gibson · picking · fretting
legacy
What's passed down
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- progenitorAncestor or originator
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
precursor · Eric Clapton · Keith Richards · Led Zeppelin · Rolling Stones · rock and roll · British Invasion · covered · sampled · rediscovery
- BluesB.B. King, Muddy Waters, twelve bar blues, delta blues, blue notes
- guitaristsJimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen
- Music PioneersElvis Presley, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong, Bob Dylan
- Southern IconsElvis Presley, William Faulkner, Martin Luther King Jr., Tennessee Williams, Rosa Parks
- Fighter AcesRed Baron, Chuck Yeager
- RobertsRob, Bobby, Bob, Robby, Roberto
Robert JohnsonBing Crosby
Pat Boone · Perry Como · Liberace · Wayne Newton · Tin Pan Alley
Robert JohnsonMahalia Jackson
Renowned gospel vocalist
Pat Boone · Tony Bennett · Dolly Parton · Bing Crosby · B.B. King
Robert JohnsonElvis Presley
Bing Crosby · Frank Sinatra · The Beatles · Michael Jackson · Taylor Swift
Robert, Robin, Johnson, Roberts, Robinson, Roberta, Johnstone, Robbie, Johnsons