The birth of blues pioneer Robert Johnson

Itinerant blues singer and guitarist Robert Johnson, who was born May 8, 1911 and lived to only 1938, became a talisman to a generation of rockers like the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers, and more. His life is shrouded in mystery, only two known photographs of him exist, and legend even holds that he sold his soul to the devil at a local crossroads to achieve musical success. It's not even known how he died (at age 27). These channels feature recordings from Robert Johnson's two recording sessions.

Pre-War Blues

Acoustic recordings of blues legends like Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith, plus old-time gospel and folk

- Advertisement -