Photographs of the mysterious legend of the blues Robert Johnson may have been unearthed, if reports in the American press are to be believed.
Robert Johnson remains a musical enigma. Born in the southern state of Mississippi, his short life was beset by rumor and legend – including the notorious story that he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his ability on the guitar. His recorded works amount to a single CD yet have been the inspiration for countless millions of musicians, with Led Zeppelin covering his ‘Traveling Riverside Blues’.
Johnson’s mysterious death in 1938 only served to fuel the legend. Trips into the South by intrepid song collectors gathered little information, and to this day only two verified photos of the bluesman are known to exist.
Yet US magazine Vanity Fair reports that a new photograph has been unearthed. Collector Steven Schein claims to have found a new photo of the guitarist with fellow musician Johnny Shines, who he travelled with for a while.
An ongoing legal battle has commenced with Robert Johnson’s estate, but it is hoped that this new photograph will shed some light on the life of one of the 20th century’s most important, yet anonymous, musicians.
Photograph copyright Claud Johnson 2007.
