Steven Johnson, Grandson of Robert Johnson, Interview – Gibson.com
Few artists have had as great an impact on the history of popular music with such a relatively small body of recorded work as Robert Johnson. The famed Delta bluesman recorded just 29 songs over two years before his life was cut short in August 1938 under dubious circumstances. Nevertheless, Johnson’s music continues to resonate in both the worlds of blues and rock. Artists like Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Peter Green have all paid homage to the King of the Delta Blues Singers, with Clapton calling him “the most important blues singer that ever lived.”
One of the foremost authorities on Robert Johnson is his grandson, Steven Johnson, who works closely with the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation to preserve his grandfather’s legacy through the provision of art education, competitions and scholarships. Steven Johnson was kind enough to sit down with Gibson.com in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of Robert Johnson’s birth on May 8.