Delta blues legend Robert Johnson was born this day in 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. In spite of the monster mythology that has grown up around Johnson's legacy like so much smothering kudzu plant, dig beneath the grandiose stories and you'll find a gifted songwriter, a powerful singer, and a skilled guitarist. The aura of mystery that surrounded Johnson's life (and his early death) helped make him the iconic Delta bluesman, a legend tailor-made to appeal to a 1960s generation of blues-influenced rockers like the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Led Zeppelin.
