During his short life, Robert Johnson managed to leave a musical legacy that survived him for decades. Musicians such as Keith Richards and Eric Clapton call him one of the greatest talents of all time. From the surviving recordings it is clear that Johnson was an unusually gifted guitarist.
But little is known about his life, because few expected that he would become such a popular and revered person.
The first secret
Johnson was born in May 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. He became the tenth child in his huge family. Shortly after his birth, the Johnsons moved in. For several years they wandered through the cities of the south in search of a better life. Moving accompanied the musician throughout his short life.
From early childhood, Robert developed an interest in music. He played the harmonica well, but his goal was the guitar. However, despite the hard hours of training, the instrument did not want to submit to him. People around him believed that he had no talent and advised him not to waste his time, but one day everything changed.
Once Johnson left his temporary home in Robinsonville and wandered around the neighborhood for several months. When he returned, everyone was amazed. In a short time he mastered the highest level of guitar playing. And this is with his initial inclinations!
So his first secret was born.
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People began to gossip that Johnson made a pact with the Devil himself, selling him his soul for his talent. According to one version, Johnson met the Devil at a crossroads outside the city. At this moment, the Devil was tuning the guitar. He handed the guy the instrument and offered to play. And Johnson played!
Robert himself was in no hurry to refute these rumors. Moreover, he released a song called "The Devil and Me".
It is not known whether his talent was the result of hard training or a gift from otherworldly forces. One thing is clear - talent did not bring him either fame or wealth. The musician recorded several songs, but this did not bring him much profit. Most of the time he played the blues in eateries or on the streets.
Second secret
In August 1938, Johnson found himself in Greenwood, Mississippi. On the 13th, he played a concert at a local disco.
That evening, someone brought him a bottle of whiskey. Johnson kissed her from time to time. As it turned out later, the alcohol was poisoned.
Who was the poisoner? Envious people? The former partner of his woman? Or, maybe, the jealous woman herself, dissatisfied with the fact that he is staring at others?
According to eyewitnesses, Johnson suffered from symptoms of poisoning for three days, after which he died. He was only 27 years old.
However, his death certificate states that the doctors did not perform a postmortem examination or autopsy. That is, the version of the poisoning has not been officially confirmed in any way. Some believe that he was not poisoned at all, but died from other reasons. For example, from syphilis.
Third mystery
The third big secret was the burial place of the guitarist. Neither exact information nor a monument with his name was found.
Johnson's name and his work remained in oblivion until 1961, when his records were not made public. After that, three cemeteries immediately began to claim the title of the musician's last refuge.
Representatives of the Mount Zion Baptist Church near Morgan City say Johnson's ashes rest in their cemetery. True, in a grave without a headstone. Not knowing its exact location, they haphazardly erected a monument in 1990.
Also in 1990, a plaque in honor of Johnson was erected at the Payne Chapel cemetery near Quito. This was to confirm the fact that he was buried here.
Finally, there is another gravestone in the graveyard of Little Zion Church in the vicinity of Greenwood. Church representatives are also confident that Robert Johnson rests at their church.
Could Johnson really sell his soul to the devil for his unrivaled talent? How and by whose fault did he die? And finally, where is he buried? These questions will intrigue researchers and admirers of Johnson's talent for a long time.
