Leroy Johnson. Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson is one of the pillars of the blues, whose life was surrounded by legends. Although few recordings of his legacy have survived, many of his songs have become genre standards. They were performed not only by hardened bluesmen of subsequent generations, but also by venerable rockers such as the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Steve Miller Band and Led Zeppelin, and in 1986 Johnson's merits were recognized by entering his name into the Rock Hall of Fame 'n' Roll" in the column "Early Influence". Robert was born on May 8, 1911, although some sources date this event to 1912. Raised on the banks of the Mississippi, a boy with early age dreamed of becoming a great bluesman, but at first his attempts looked ridiculous. As a teenager, Johnson took on harmonica, and every time he appeared at dances where his idols Son House, Charlie Paton and Willie Brown played.

In between songs, he tried to play some kind of melody on his instrument, but the sound turned out to be terrible, and this only amused his older comrades. Robert married early (at the age of 18) and was widowed early. His wife died during childbirth, and after this event, the guy disappeared from his city for some time.

Where he wandered and what he did is not really known, but when Johnson played a few blues in the presence of House and Brown upon his return, their jaws dropped in surprise. In a fairly short period of time, their younger colleague not only learned to play the guitar masterfully, but also began to compose songs himself, which, of course, could not but arouse amazement. Apparently that's when she was born main legend about the life of a musician, which read as follows. Somehow at midnight on a tip knowledgeable people Robert showed up at a crossroads where he met a big black man. The devil (and who else could it be?) took the guitar from him, tuned it in the right way and returned it to the owner, as a result of which he turned into a great musician (of course, having paid with his soul).

In fact, all the skills were acquired by Johnson through diligent study of the subject and the passage of practice from such prominent bluesmen of the time as Ike Zinneman. In addition, Robert had the gift to immediately reproduce any thing he heard for the first time. And since he had to perform in various places, and the audience demanded what she liked, Johnson played not only the blues, but also hillbilly, jazz and pop standards.

However, despite the variety of material performed, Robert had signature features, the most significant of which was the boogie-bass line issued on the lower strings (this technique was subsequently adopted by many famous bluesmen). Unlike most of his contemporaries, the musician liked to tour a lot, but practically did not record. All the material that succeeding generations could hear was recorded in the 1936 sessions. Then he recorded 29 songs and several of their alternative versions. During his lifetime, only "Terraplane Blues" and "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" were released on records. The first of these things became a big hit and sold 5,000 copies, which was a significant achievement for the 30s.

Unfortunately, Johnson's other compositions saw the light only after the musician's death. By the way, the death of the artist occurred under circumstances not fully clarified, but according to the most common version, he was poisoned by the owner of the saloon, with whose wife Robert started an affair.

Robert Leroy Johnson, in country style, is one of the most famous performers classic blues. The musician was born on May 8, 1911 in Hazelhurst, USA. Robert Johnson, whose biography was replete with endless moving from place to place, first with his parents, and then on his own, dreamed of the blues since childhood.

Robert Johnson picked up the guitar when he was barely 13 years old. He did not master the technique of playing at all, he only sat and plucked the strings for hours. The stubbornness of the teenager was explained by the persistent character that he inherited from his father. And if Robert decided to achieve something, then he always tried to achieve his goal. In the end it happened, but not immediately.

Attempts to master the instrument

The guitar in the hands of a teenager did not want to sound at all, and, apart from an unintelligible strumming, no sounds could be extracted. However, the desire to someday play the blues was so strong that Robert continued to torment the strings. To be closer to the art of spirituals, gospel, boogie-woogie, the young man met two professional blues performers, Willie Brown and Sun House. Both musicians took an active part in the fate of Johnson, but they could not teach him how to play the guitar.

Plantation work

In the end, nineteen-year-old Robert was forced to give up his dream and move to another state where he could earn a living picking cotton. Now the young African American picked up the guitar only in the evenings, after work. The instrument still did not obey, the music did not work. This went on for over a year. And since Robert believed in God, every time he visited church, he prayed and asked the Almighty to send him a musical talent, while promising to play several gospel songs at once for the glory of the Lord.

insight

Perhaps God heard him, but only suddenly one Sunday, when Robert Johnson returned from church and, out of habit, began to play something on the guitar and hum at the same time, he felt that he was getting some kind of melody. Inspired by the success he had been waiting for, Johnson began to repeat the newly invented musical phrase over and over again, and he got a song. He immediately came up with a chorus. For several evenings, the future musician rehearsed, and in the end a composition created according to all the rules of the blues was born. It was the very famous Hellhound On My Trail, which later entered the list of the few songs of Robert Johnson. The first success gave strength, and the novice musician set to work with redoubled energy.

The next few evenings were spent creating two more songs, Cross Road Blues and Me And The Devil Blues. Johnson was happy, he succeeded, the dream of a lifetime came true. Now Robert Johnson, whose music had finally taken shape, could compose and perform the blues. As soon as the cotton harvest was over, he hurried to his friends. Sun House and Willie Brown were glad to see their younger friend, but they did not want to listen to his guitar playing.

Confession

And only when Robert insisted, played and sang all his songs, his friends sat with their mouths open for a long time, not understanding anything. In order to somehow explain his success in music, he urgently came up with a parable about how he met the devil at the crossroads of two roads, sold his soul to him, and he taught him to play the guitar and sing the blues. Friends laughed, but congratulated Johnson and invited him to perform with them.

First appearances

Since then, the musicians have not parted. Robert played acoustic country blues and composed melodies. Musicologists call Johnson the link between Chicago and Delta blues, although, strictly speaking, the two styles don't need to be linked, each has a life of its own. Delta blues is softer, melodious, with a good dose of melancholy, while Chicago, on the contrary, is full of jerky notes, syncopated musical phrases and long guitar solos turning into crescendos.

Studio recordings

Robert Johnson's art was at first as unassuming as the songs of most other blues artists. The same primitive texts from a pile of meaningless phrases, but his music was completely different, deep and melodic. Johnson recorded little, last time he was seen in the studio on July 20, 1937. From the 15th to the 20th, he managed to record 13 songs, which were later released as a separate album.

Recording quality

The authority of Robert Johnson new wave grew by leaps and bounds. His first recording session took place in November 1936 in one of the San Antonio studios in At that time, the equipment was primitive, the cutter made a sound track on an aluminum disk, the sound quality left much to be desired. But the singer liked the sound of his voice, and he sat at the machine until late at night.

First fee

Some time later, Johnson was invited to American Record, one of the leading US record companies. This invitation looked somewhat unusual. At that time, the blues was practically not recorded, only jazz was popular. However, as part of this invitation, Robert Johnson performed eight of his songs, which were recorded in good quality. A few days later the session continued, and the song "Blues 32-20" was recorded. Then Johnson was paid a fee for his work.

Researcher folk music Bob Groom wrote in his article: "Musician Johnson stands at a crossroads in the development of the genre. Behind him - delta blues, ahead - Chicago." He looked into the water, and Robert did just that.

Missed performance

Robert Johnson, whose blues sounded both Delta and Chicago, made no distinction between the two. Maybe that's why the musician became the pinnacle of the blues of the late thirties of the last century. The talent of the already fully formed bluesman was noticed by jazz producer John Hammond. He decided to invite Johnson to participate in his project, several autumn concerts of authentic "black" music, which he arranged to demonstrate the evolution of American culture in this direction.

Many agents began to look for the singer. Robert Johnson, whose photo was received by all couriers, did not appear anywhere. Dozens of people were looking for Bluesman, and by this time he was already in the grave. The musician died on August 16, 1938 at the age of 27.

The story of the singer's death

On that memorable day, Johnson found himself in a village called Triple Fork. The place was located a few miles from Greenwood, a small town in southern Mississippi. At the entrance to the village there was a drinking establishment with music, a bar and a dance floor. The visitors were greeted by a beautiful mulatto who did not hide her sympathy for Robert. He, too, was not averse to having fun, and the young people agreed to meet in the evening.

Robert Johnson flirted with might and main, and the owner of the establishment, a cruel jealous man, who considered the mulatto his wife, was closely watching him. Robert took the guitar and began to practice his business as usual to play the blues. Nothing foreshadowed trouble until the singer was sent a bottle of whiskey in recognition of his talent, but for some reason open. Johnson drank a few sips and a few hours later he was taken unconscious in an ambulance to the city. The poisoned drink did not work immediately, the musician died only on the third day. Thus ended the life of the famous bluesman.

The series "Supernatural» (Supernatural), filmed in the fantasy genre, quickly gained popularity among Russian viewers. The first season was released in 2005. Since the premiere, 11 seasons have been filmed, the last of which started in 2015. Each season has up to 25 episodes, in which the main characters Sam and Dean investigate mystical events on the verge of horror.

Of great interest not only among fans of the series, but also music lovers, is musical accompaniment. Two composers contributed to the soundtrack Christopher Lennertz and Jay Gruska.

Christopher Lennertz writes music for films, television show and video games, and has a long list of accolades, including a Grammy for Best Latin Rock Album during his time with Ozomatli on their 2004 album Street Signs. If we talk about "Supernatural", then for their outstanding musical compositions Lennertz was nominated for an Emmy - an award in the field of television.

Jay Graska, in addition to creating soundtracks for films, he is also known as a composer for the TV series Charmed and Beverly Hills 90210, popular in Russia in the 2000s. Graska says that “despite his long and eventful career, he still feels like a student when he composes music, and sincerely rejoices at every opportunity to immerse himself in a sphere already familiar to him, or to learn the intricacies of a new craft.”

The series "Supernatural" from the first to the last series is filled with incredible stories, but of particular interest is the 8th episode of the 2nd season - "Blues at the Crossroads" (Crossroad Blues).

The plot is based on the legend of Robert Leroy Johnson(Robert Leroy Johnson). The story goes that Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil in order to master the blues. It all happened in Mississippi. The future brilliant guitarist and singer once told his friends that he would learn to play the blues in such a way that he would not be equal in the whole world. His words were not taken seriously - after all, Robert did not have any outstanding abilities at that time and musical talent. However, after some time, Leroy Johnson disappeared from sight of the neighbor boys. He was gone for several months and returned as suddenly as he had disappeared.

Read detective about jazz, sex, murder and hard times New Orleans - book

Back in hometown, he played the blues on the guitar… The local musicians were amazed. There was no trace of the former amateur bluesman - in front of them was a professional who played so bewitchingly that it was hard to believe that they were facing the same person - Robert Leroy Johnson. Then the legend of the bluesman was born, who made a deal with the devil himself. After the death of the legendary blues guitarist, the musician's fans tried desperately to debunk this myth, claiming that Johnson was endowed with talent from birth and when he became popular, it was just his time.

The Blues at the Crossroads series begins in the same state of Mississippi in 1930. For the opportunity to become an inimitable guitarist, Robert Leroy Johnson makes a deal with a red-eyed demon, or the Demon of the Crossroads, who is ready for the soul asking to fulfill his every desire. The deal went through and was sealed with a kiss. After 8 years in the bar "Lloyd" Johnson plays the blues on the guitar. Hearing dogs barking outside, he ran to hide. But unsuccessfully. Robert is found dying and keeps talking about black dogs with red eyes.

Our days. Sam and Dean learn of the death of Sean Boyden, an architect who jumped off the roof of a building he designed. Eyewitnesses said that he endlessly repeated about the dog in the building ...

Soundtracks in the series:

• Robert Johnson
• Robert Johnson
• Son House
• Little Walter
• Brian Tichy Chaos Surrounds You
• Nazareth

Robert A. Johnson is an American Jungian analyst who was born in 1921 and now lives in San Diego, California.

Johnson's life course began perhaps with a car accident he was in at the age of 11 in which he lost his leg. Like Parzival in the Grail myth, Robert Johnson's young spiritual quest led him to encounter various sages, saints and sinners, culminating in his discovery of the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.

Johnson began his analytic training at the Jung Institute in Zurich in 1947 when it first opened. After training with Carl Jung, Emma Jung and Jolanda Jacobi, he completed his analytical training with Fritz Kunkel in Los Angeles and Tony Sussman in London.

In 2002, Robert Johnson received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Johnson also trained with Krishnamurti, Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, India. For 19 years he lived between southern California and India.

For some time Robert was a Benedictine monk in the Episcopal Church (Church of England).

Johnson is a distinguished lecturer and his books have sold over two million copies in nine languages. Robert Johnson's books are known not only for their wisdom and insight, but also for their retelling of timeless myths and tales, especially the Grail myth and the archetypal characterizations of Parzival and the wounded King Fisher.

Robert's works include + "Inner Gold: Understanding Psychological Projection", "Contentment: A Path to true happiness”, “Understanding one’s own shadow”, “He: the deep aspects of male psychology”, “She: the deep aspects of female psychology”, “We: the deep aspects of romantic love».

Books (4)

We: Deep Aspects of Romantic Love

Is it possible to talk about the psychology of love? What is love, and how does it differ from true love? What are historical roots romantic love, and does such love exist in our time? How has her psychology changed?

R. Johnson's book "We: Deep Aspects of Romantic Love" is devoted to these and other issues related to the psychology of relations between a man and a woman.

He: Deep Aspects of Male Psychology

What does it mean to be a man? What are the main milestones on the way to the formation of masculinity? How to see in yourself the features of Parsifal and the Fisher King? How do they show up in life? modern man? What is the role of women in a man's life? How does a feeling differ from an emotion, and where to look for the origins of a bad mood?

She: Deep Aspects of Female Psychology

To what extent are the life stories of all women similar to each other, and what is their significant psychological difference? What is the role of men in a woman's life? different stages its development? How can women discover Psyche and Aphrodite in themselves? What is female maturity?

The answers to all these questions can be found in the fascinating book by Robert Johnson, dedicated to the deep problems of female psychology.

Reader Comments

Martha/ 08/13/2019 Thanks to Anna for the selection of books))

Anna/ 07/06/2017 How many books I have read on self-development over the past 10 years - do not count. I started with the theme of dreams and eventually came to them. Probably in my case it was necessary, but maybe my advice will come in handy for someone, do not waste time and keep a dream journal, study them, and treat them with deep respect. They contain all the answers, books are also needed, but without practice, knowledge is forgotten. I really liked Robert Johnson's books and helped in self-development. I also want to recommend the books of Olga Kharitidi, the author pays no less attention to the theme of dreams. For self-development, I will single out the books of Roman Zyulkov, these are books for practice. I also can't miss the book by Janette Rainwater.
IT'S IN YOUR POWER. How to become your own psychotherapist, which also really helps to understand yourself.

Valeria/ 1.05.2012 The books are amazingly deep in content and at the same time written very simple, accessible language. I use the technology of working with dreams proposed by the author. The results exceeded all expectations! I am very happy that I found such useful books on this site!

After meeting famous bluesmen Son House and Willie Brown in 1930, he tried to master blues guitar to perform with the luminaries together. Needless to say, art... Read all

Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911, Hazelhurst, Mississippi - August 16, 1938, Greenwood) - American musician, one of the most famous (and legendary) bluesmen of the 20th century.

After meeting the famous bluesmen Son House and Willie Brown in 1930, he tried to master the blues guitar in order to perform with the luminaries together. I must say that this art was given to him extremely difficult. For some time, Robert parted with friends and disappears in an unknown direction, only to reappear already in 1931. Be a great musician.

From this moment, the appearance of the myth should be counted. Dumbfounded by the success of the "younger comrade", Brown and House could only ask: how is it? Where did you learn this?

Johnson told the bike that there was some magical crossroads where he made a deal with the Prince of Darkness - he gave his soul in exchange for the ability to play the blues.

In his most famous songs (Me and the Devil Blues, Hellhound On My Trail, Cross Road Blues) he explicitly mentions it. After writing 29 songs, having spent three recording sessions, he dies, as the saying goes. official version, at the hands of the deceived husband of his beloved.

His songs were performed (and are still performed) by the most famous musicians planets: Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Ry Cooder, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, John Mayall, Peter Green, Luther Allison, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bonnie Raitt, The White Stripes and many others.

Several films were shot - documentaries ("The search for Robert Johnson", "Cain't you hear the wind howl?") And one feature ("Crossroads" by Walter Hill).

His discography is large and cannot be reasonably calculated due to the fact that he did not record a single album during his lifetime, and after the death of a musician, the firms compile his legacy at their own request.