Johnson’s life and music have too often been overshadowed by stories about him selling his soul to the Devil. Whether he actually met the devil at a crossroads has little to do with who he was, but the story behind the legend makes a fascinating and entertaining journey. One certain thing about Johnson’s blues recordings is their lasting effect on our music and culture today.

Since Johnson’s untimely demise, his life story has taken on mythical proportions, even though his recording career was brief. Without the solid foundation of The Blues, Rock & Roll would probably not even exist. During the three-quarters of a century since his death, Robert Johnson’s music has influenced countless other artists such as Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elvis Presley and many more. It is impossible to calculate the full impact of Johnson’s music, as the ripple effect continues to spread outward, but clearly the lonely bluesman from Mississippi has achieved the fame which he craved during his short life.

-Nasir Najieb