Many people believe that it was with Brian Jones, at the end of the 1960s, that the deaths of some of the most influential musicians began to take place, who went on to join the ranks of the so-called club of 27. That is a group of artists who have died at the young age of 27, several of them quite controversially until today.
However, it was a few decades ago when “The King of Delta Blues”, Mr. Robert Johnson started this tragic list.
Johnson went down in history for being one of the best guitarists of his time and for having made a pact with the devil in exchange for those magnificent qualities.
He began playing guitar in some bars with his colleague Son House, however, he was not good at all and was often invited to leave the stage due to the irritating noise he produced with his guitar.
Legend has it that in 1931, Robert went out in search of his biological father and was absent from the music scene for a while. When he returned, he did so with an exceptional ability to play the guitar in a way that no one had heard before.
It is said that it was at the crossroads of Highway 61 and Highway 49 in Clarksdale Mississippi, where the devil himself appeared to Robert asking him to have the ability to play the guitar in a virtuoso way, Lucifer accepted, tuned the instrument and in return asked the musician for his soul, to which Johnson without hesitation agreed, thus sealing the pact.
Years later in 1938, the owner of the bar where Johnson would perform that night, invited him a bottle of whiskey that came uncorked, his colleague Son House threw it on the floor to prevent Johnson from tasting the liquor, however, later another bottle of whiskey came into the hands of the Robert.
He began to drink it and later went on stage to perform his songs and after a few minutes, he couldn’t resist the discomfort and went home without finishing the performance.
The next three days were spent “crawling around on all fours and howling like a mad dog. The poison they had put in the whiskey had the desired effect, killing Johnson at only 27 years of age, which would make him the first on the club’s list of 27.
About Zoryham
Zoryham is a Political Scientist who has been a freelance writer and radio broadcaster for several years. Her niches include Music, Wellness, Healthy Lifestyle, Yoga, Personal Development, Animals and Product Reviews. When Zoryham is not writing, you can find her listening to a Rolling Stones album, her favorite band.
