ABSTRACT
Since the release of King of the Delta Blues Singers in 1961, Robert Johnson has inspired breathless praise for his high, keening voice and extraordinary prowess on guitar. However, White musicians and fans have been accused of erasing the cultural context of his music as they “romanticize” Johnson as a loner whose talent appeared overnight and who was haunted by a brooding sense of sin. Recent critics argue that such a devil-obsessed figure never walked the earth. This essay argues that dismissing such responses to Johnson as mere romanticism undermines his artistry. The haunting quality of his music was not invented by Sixties musicians and critics. Rather, it resides in the performances themselves, a point evident in fan responses to slowed-down versions of his work that circulate online. Despite their hyperbolic devotion to him, musicians and fans give Johnson credit as a self-conscious artist with a carefully crafted style.
