According to legend, American blues composer, guitarist, and singer Robert Johnson made a deal with the Devil at a crossroads in Mississippi to acquire his prodigious musical talent in exchange for his soul and only eight more years to live. The legend has also been attached to fellow blues musician Tommy Johnson (no relation to Robert). Although some biographies and films have perpetuated the crossroads myth, music historians such as Robert Palmer instead ascribe Robert Johnson’s remarkable musical talent to the time he had to hone his skills as a guitarist under the instruction of Ike Zinneman (also called Ike Zimmerman) while living near Hazlehurst, Mississippi, and to the wide variety of music that he was exposed to during his hiatus from Robinsonville, including the single-string picking styles of Lonnie Johnson and Scrapper Blackwell.
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