A Mississippi Blues Trail marker has been unveiled at arguably the most influential place in the history of the Delta blues.
Officials gathered in Clarksdale to get a first look at the marker, which stands tall along the crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. The landmark is deeply rooted in music history and folklore. It’s most commonly known as the place where iconic Mississippi bluesman Robert Johnson is rumored to have sold his soul to the devil.
Born in Hazlehurst in 1911, Johnson spent his early years living in Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Mississippi Delta. During his time in Memphis, his affinity for music developed. Though he was initially known as a relatively skilled harmonica player, Johnson was infamously jeered for his subpar guitar skills.
Johnson, on a journey to an area near his birthplace in pursuit of his biological father, came across a different discovery. After learning from guitar greats Son House and Ike Zimmerman – a man said to have learned supernaturally to play guitar by visiting graveyards at midnight – Johnson supposedly had a supernatural encounter for himself at the crossroads of Highway 49 and Highway 61.
As the legend goes, Johnson met the devil at the crossroads where he is rumored to have given the prince of darkness his soul in exchange for extraordinary guitar-playing skills. The blues singer later mentioned this mythological account in his song “Cross Road Blues.”
After the famed deal with the devil was reached, Johnson became an immensely popular musical journeyman everywhere he went with a unique ability to entertain crowds all over the U.S. More importantly, he was a trailblazer who paved the path for later musicians to achieve success in the blues sphere.
Johnson died of unknown causes in Greenwood at the young age of 27 in 1938, though theories of his passing have circulated. But his legend continues to live on to this day as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame considers Johnson the first-ever rock star. Folks eager to witness where the legend of Johnson and the devil’s encounter is said to have occurred are welcome to visit the commemorative monument at any time.
“The Crossroads is one of the most recognized locations in blues lore,” Visit Mississippi Director Rochelle Hicks said. “This marker ensures that future generations will understand its cultural impact and Mississippi’s central role in the story of American music.”
The new marker joins more than 200 along the Mississippi Blues Trail.