The Man at the Crossroads: Robert Johnson and the Myths He Created Robert Johnson is a figure around whom the blues tradition has not simply built a legend, but an entire mythology. If there is a character in music history shrouded in as much secrecy as Robert Johnson, then his name is certainly inscribed in the same ink as the deal with the devil at the crossroads. He died at the age of 27, recorded only 29 songs (some sources say 42), but his influence on blues, rock, and world music in the 20th century is impossible to overestimate. Was he a genius self-taught man who sold his soul for skill, or just a talented musician whose tragic death turned him into an icon? Let's separate fact from fiction and understand how Robert Johnson became who he became and why his name is still whispered with awe. Childhood and Youth: The Start of a Journey to Nowhere The exact date of Robert Johnson's birth remains a subject of controversy. Some researchers say May 8, 1911, while others claim 1912. His place of birth is Hazelhurst, Mississippi, although the musician himself claimed he was born in the town of Robinsonville. The uncertainty surrounding his origins became the first of many mysteries. Robert's childhood was difficult. He was an illegitimate son of Julia May Johnson and Noah Jenkins, but he barely knew his mother — she died when he was about four years old. The boy was sent to live with an uncle and then with his father. In his youth, Johnson moved several times between Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee. He was shy, introverted, and it was perhaps these traits that later gave his playing and singing that piercing, detached depth. He first encountered blues when, in 1918, he was sent to a black orphans' home in Memphis. There he met the music of Son House, one of the pioneers of delta blues. Later he took guitar lessons from House, but according to House's memories, Johnson played \"horribly\" at that time. By the age of 18, he married a 16-year-old Virginia Travis, b ... Read more