Myth and Collective Memory in the Case of Robert Johnson

Abstract

The blues musician Robert Johnson (1911–1938) is the subject of an extensive literature, both popular and academic. Previous work has examined his biography, his musical style, and the dynamics of his posthumous reputation. I focus on the Robert Johnson myth as embodied in stories about how he learned to play guitar, how he lived and died, and his posthumous influence. This myth grew in successive refinements of its own structure and self-reinforcing success. This case study in popular memory shows the role of myth, narrative, and audience reception in the construction of a remembered character.