According to legend, Robert Johnson played a lousy guitar until he journeyed to the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 in Clarksdale, where the devil retuned his guitar in exchange for his soul. When he returned, he displayed a formidable technique and mastery of the blues.
Robert Johnson's music is renowned for its eerie, distinctive style. Legend has it that three of his most hauntingly desperate recordings, "Cross Roads Blues," "Hell Hounds on My Trail," and "Me and the Devil Blues" are a trilogy chronicling his Faustian deal with the devil.
The cause of Robert Johnson's death remains unknown, and the exact site of his burial is unknown. The headstone pictured above is located in the cemetery at Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Greenwood. It is one of three possible burial sites of Robert Johnson. Inscribed in the headstone is a handwritten note of Johnson's, which reads, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of Jerusalem, I know that my Redeemer liveth and that He will call me from the Grave."
Robert Johnson is a member of the 27 Club, a group of gifted musicians, actors, and artists who died suddenly and at the pinnacle of their careers at age 27. Other members include Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse. 