The Search for Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson was one of the most influential and enigmatic Delta blues musicians of all time. Little is known about his life, but his music has influenced many different artists, including Eric Clapton and Keith Richards. John Hammond Jr., son of record producer John H. Hammond—who also organized a concert for Robert Johnson shortly before his death—travels to the Deep South in an effort to uncover more about Johnson's life. Hammond seeks information about Johnson's birth date, birthplace, and parents, his early musical development, performances and travels, his romantic relationships, the mythic "pact with the devil" associated with him, his untimely death in his late twenties, the discovery of possible offspring, and the uncertainty surrounding his burial site. Throughout the process, Johnson's music remains central, both as background and foreground, through recordings of Johnson and live performances by Hammond, David Honeyboy Edwards, and Johnny Shines.