The Deal with the Devil that Created Rock & Roll - Demonic Tales & Robert Johnson 

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Being accused of making a pact with the devil must have been the precursor to being called a hacker in a video game.

I like the idea that Robert just really didn't know how to tune a guitar and the "devil" is just some dude who was willing to sit down and show him how to actually tune the thing 😂😂😂

To be fair, being a accused of dealing with the devil because you achieved something impossible is low key such a great compliment

As iconic as the legend is, I think the story of a man who got laughed off the stage said "alright, I'll show you" and became a guitar god after years of hard work and practice, is a lot more inspirational.

That whole “dying at crossroads” is made a lot scarier by the fact that the majority of car wrecks happen at intersections

Wonder what Robert would have said if someone told him that millions people would listen his songs almost eighty years after his passing.

This man once said “the devil doesn’t come to you with a red face and horns, he comes disguised as everything you ever wanted” and I swear I’ve never heard anything more true before

28:37 a music theory teacher in college told our class that paganini also probably had unnaturally big hands. So some of the music he wrote and performed was literally impossible for others to replicate, also fueling the rumors of him selling his soul to the devil

This man really made a 5 hour analysis on a book about death and instead of taking a little break, he then drops a 45 minute analysis on ANOTHER American history story. Absolutely unreal, thank you for feeding us ♡

1930: He can't be that good, he must've sold his soul 2020: He can't be that good, he must be an industry plant

Deal with the devil or not, I believe when they tried to push him down, he took that as a sign to better himself, to truly love what he appreciates in life. Like a sage, he understood that it was okay to be alone and so he mastered his craft. dedication, time, emotion and passion. He was truly a magnificent musician.

I love how the actual story was he went and learned from a local guitar player and practiced in graveyards with him because he said "The dead can't complain."

The graveyard practice explained at 33:20 is actually kinda brilliant. It's funny but more then that it's a great way to practice in an uncomfortable, populated environment like up on a stage. Practicing on your own doesn't take into account the pressure of being in front of people and a graveyard seems a great 'safe' place to emulate it, the player being conscious of the people (and possibly spirits) around them.

I always thought he found someone who taught him the basics and then he worked like hell to create his own technique and style. Some people just have the talent AND the determination to work hard to gain the skill. He truly was ahead of his time

Him singing about dealing with the devil is like metal bands that were accused of satanism saying screw it and using pentagrams in their cover art. He really was the father of rock 😂

A thing to note: it's widely believed that Robert's recordings were sped up due to bad recording equipment of the era. You can actually find slowed down versions here on RU-vid and they're just as, if not more, haunting as the studio versions.

Can I just state how cool Wendigoon’s audience is? So many of you guys have cool information you share in the comments and have really interesting analyses of the information given and how we can expand it. It’s just so fun and refreshing to read the comments and see all the cool things people have to share.

here in Chile we have a story called "el roto que engaño al diablo" or The broke/poor (guy) that tricked the devil, it was one of my favorite folklore characters when i was little: Bartolo Lara, a broken man who lived in the south of Chile decides, desperate for lack of money decides to invoke the devil. The devil himself appears to him, and Bartolo asks him for a large amount of money in exchange for his soul, the only thing he possessed. The devil asks him when he wants him to take it away, and Bartolo replies "tomorrow." The devil, surprised because people usually want several years to enjoy what they asked for, accepts the deal, but gives him one day. There Bartolo asks to record the pact in a contract, and the devil writes: Bartolo Lara, I won't take you today, but I'll take you tomorrow. The deal done, Bartolo enjoys his money for the rest of the day, and in the morning he leaves to join the devil. He makes an appearance and tells him that the time has come to collect the deal, but Bartolo asks that the devil show the contract signed by both parties. There the devil reads it, and realizes that the end of the term was not for that day, but for the next ("I won't take you today, but I'll take you tomorrow"). For the trouble of having returned to the same place, Bartolo asks the devil for money again, generally it is counted as the same sum as the first time, so that every time the devil returned to look for Bartolo's soul, he asked that he check the contract and then demanded more money. This is how a long time passed until the devil realizes that he had been deceived, and he gives up looking for Bartolo. The end of the story is uncertain, many times it is not mentioned, other times it is said that Bartolo enjoyed the remaining money for the rest of his life. Bartolo just wanted to do a little trolling

As an artist myself, I'm happy you included the true story of how Johnson learned his craft instead of just telling the Devil aspect of the story. Learning a skill takes years of work and dedication and to me, talking about that aspect is really important because he didn't just get good one day, he worked for it.

As a Mississippi native, the story of Robert Johnson has always been a favorite of mine. His guitar skills are incredible too, it sounds like 2 people playing with how well he can do it. Glad to see him getting some recognition.

And of course, this gave rise to one of America's most important cultural moments: The episode of Metalocalypse where they attempt to make a deal with the Devil, negotiating with him so long and hard that he gives up and leaves.

The story of Robert Johnson reminds me of the webcomic by Sarah Andersen where people are wondering how she's so good at art and praising her natural talents, but she keeps telling them it's just practice.

"The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin for a soul to steal, he was in a bind, he was way behind and was willing to make a deal."

Why does Wendigoon seem like the only RU-vidr who has unique, interesting, truly terrifying content? Never seen a RU-vid channel touch on self mummification, world’s most radioactive man, Blood Meridian, and all of the other content with such a perfect balance of respect and thoroughness that I can never get tired of. So glad I found this channel

Wendi sold his soul to the devil to gain the ability to dish out banger content at an ungodly rate of speed and quality

Funny Story, only slighty related: Here in Venezuela there's a folk tale known as "Florentino and the Devil". The story revolves around The Devil challenging Florentino, a joropo singer, to a contrapunteo, which is basically a joropo-themed rap battle. They sing against each other until Florentino references the Holy Trinity right at dawn, vanquishing The Devil. The funniest part is it's one of the most well-known and historically significant pieces of literature in the country having plenty of voiced and book adaptations.

I definitely don't believe the Devil narrative bc there's a LOT you can learn in 3 years. If he was as dedicated as they say, I absolutely believe he could have found a good teacher, buckled down and got really good at guitar in 3 years. Also I think a video on the 27 Club would be hella interesting!

My dad has a shirt with Robert Johnson on it. I remember asking about who the man on his shirt was as a kid, and my dad telling me this incredible, unsettling tale of how he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his musical skills. I was captivated. His story is what first sparked my interest in all things unusual. Thanks for this video, it really took me back. Can’t wait to share this with my pops :)

You should do a video over the first ghost stories/supernatural events to be historically recorded.

I've seen several Robert Johnson documentaries and this is the only account on him that mentioned the 7th string. That little detail just made the whole thing even more fascinating. Thanks Wendigoon.

Wendigoon must have sold his soul to the Devil to have become such a phenomenal storyteller.

What I find fascinating about this, is that nearly every place in the world has a similar story. Here in Argentina, in the province of Santiago del Estero (wich is older than the country itself) there's the legend of the Supai (a race of demons instead of a single entity) that can offer you riches, ,love or talents in exchange for your body and soul. It is said that this is the origin of the Chacarera (this region's folkloric) music genre.

Tartini wrote a Sonata nicknamed The Devil's Trill and the story behind it is that the devil came to him in a dream playing "the most beautiful music" Tartini had ever heard, after waking up he tried to recreate it but never believe he captured the devil's actual piece

roberts music is genuinely some of the most haunting pieces you can learn and play. even just playing it on a guitar can make you feel uneasy. like there’s something listening even when you’re by yourself.

"It is reminiscent of rock and roll the way your grandfather is reminiscent of yourself", mate that is beautifully expressed.

This is one of those stories in music that gets REAL weird. The fact he played with his back turned and theres a "ghost guitar" in the back of some songs is so eerie

The fact that rock and roll has an origin story like this is fantastic

Holy shit, Wendigoon and Robert Johnson crossover? Was not expecting that when I was practicing one of his standards on my guitar today

I took a rock n roll history class in highschool and there was a reason we started by talking about the blues. I've always been interested in this tale, and the way you describe Robert Johnson definitely does his talent and his character justice.

Considering the story... the line, "Hold on. Let me shut these blinds. It makes it look like I'm slowly going to heaven." is absolutely hilarious.

A couple months back I made a slideshow about Robert Johnson for a class. While researching, I came across a dual explanation for the song that fueled the myth about his supposed deal with the devil; he was simply singing about hitchhiking at the crossroads. I love how you can almost see how he leaned into the myth throughout his discography, harnessing it and prospering off of it. I would recommend his song Love in Vain to anyone interested in listening to him, despite the recording being decades old you’re able to sense his longing ^^

Literally hot off the heels of a Wendi binge and this comes out. Legendary.

I first have to say, the pure passion with which you talk about Ancestor Robert Johnson is incredible. Your interpretation that he was a young man who desperately wanted to better himself and did the work to do that is probably the most vindicating and honestly emotional part of this piece for me. This man, beaten down by life and almost everyone in it, was accused of selling his ENTIRE soul for fame. Whatever truth there is in it, ultimately this is the story of a young man who was so in love with music that he dedicated his life (and, yes, soul) to pushing the craft to a point where he could truly express his pain, thus really giving rise to popular music as we know it. Secondly, I was not expecting to see Jonghyun in your 27 Club collage, mainly because in a mainstream sense not many people know who he was or the depth of his talent. On all fronts, thank you, Wendigoon 😊

The joke about closing the blinds because it looks like you're slowly going to heaven was absolute gold

I believe there is a side to Southern American history and its folktales that need to be shared more, and Robert Johnson (and for that matter, all of the blues musicians of the Delta) is one of those stories! Always a pleasure to watch your videos, @Wendigoon.

I love this episode so much Wendigoon. It's one of my favorites now as it's just so peaceful and amazing with a wicked (hehe) adventure about a truly ahead of his time individual. I love your talent in being able to conjure and form intelligent reasonable opinions and being able to put them into such calming well researched words. thank you I am so so so thankful right now

He didn't sell his soul. Him and the Devil talked it over and both realized that it was just the most important thing that could ever happen to music, more specifically...the good old rock and roll. Good video.

My boy Robert... I cover a lot of music and I don't always go back and listen to the artists I talk about but I listen to Robert Johnson everyday, he was truly one of a kind.

I think a video on the death of Kurt Cobian would be absolutely fascinating,, there’s so many sources and circumstances around his death that go against the official record. There are several documentaries, recordings, and first-hand accounts

“Step back, Devil Man! I AM the blues!” So said Robert Johnson as he left the crossroads. There’s so much more to Johnson’s story. I’ve written about him extensively and about the deal that cast its long shadow over rock. He is the origin of the “27 Club,” and that’s the Devil’s dues being paid when you see a great talent, like Cobain for instance, die young. The Crossroads Curse has struck many times, and seems to strike worst those who steal Johnson’s music, or who incorporate it into new stuff without crediting him. Elmore James, Mick Jones, Gram Parsons, to name a few. The other aspect of the Curse is heroin addiction; some survived, some didn’t: Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and later Cobain and Winehouse. Why heroin? Street heroin is cut with strychnine - and it was strychnine in the bottom of a whiskey bottle that took Johnson at 27 years old. Of all the great rock musicians no one was more cursed than Eric Clapton who took “Crossroads Blues” and made it his own, then heavily borrowed from Johnson throughout his career. Plagued by misfortune, Clapton fell into heroin addiction, lost Patti, watched people die around him all the time (Duane Allman and Hendrix, to name two), and lost his own child when the boy fell 27 stories to his death. Clapton’s curse was finally lifted when he released “From the Cradle,” which finally credited Johnson and brought him to a new audience, and when he established an addiction treatment center in Antigua for struggling heroin addicts. Page struggled with heroin addiction in the years following the death of John Bonham (though admittedly there were other magickal elements in play). Things finally cleared up when during remastering Page finally credited Johnson appropriately for “Traveling Riverside Blues,” which was in the bones of “Whole Lotta Love,” and re-released a cut the band had made of that song. Shortly thereafter, the great London concert reunion became a reality, and Zep enjoyed a renaissance among die-hards and gained a whole new generation of fans. We in the South still take the crossroads very seriously; magick and hoodoo are still worked at crossroads all over the place. Of course, as the Devil told Mr. Johnson, “Voodoo oozes from New Orleans like the [Mississippi] river for a reason!” But as you say, the legend of the crossroads is ancient: Hecate Trevia, Queen of Witches, enters this world at a triple crossroads when she rides out with her hounds in November, quaffing her thirst on the blood of the black puppies left there for her, supplication to leave the living alone; suicides and unbaptized infants were often buried at lonely crossroads; viable infants who could not be fed by poor families were left exposed at crossroads to die, creating one of the most powerful ghosts known to supernatural lore; criminals were famously hung at crossroads, where witches would later go to sever a hand to make a Hand of Glory and gather the soil into which the putrefaction had leached, or to pick the deadly herbs that sprung up in the foul gallows soil. There was a full moon over the crossroads that night when a big black man wearing a natty old yellow suit and a bowler hat, and chewing on a cigar, came up behind Johnson and took that four-stringed guitar - which Johnson found in a trash heap in Hazelhurst - tuned it, made it screech like a dying cat, then handed it back, seven strings and all, into Johnson’s paralyzed arms. “You knows what just happened, boy?” said the Devil man. “Yes,” stammered Johnson. “Good!” said the Devil. Then he pointed north along the road. “That way,” he said. “And if you sees a woman a’walking along wearing shiny red shoes don’t tell her nothin’ about seeing me. Dat’s be my wife, and she been lookin’ for me!” 😈

26:40 this part made me tear up a little. My grandfather died last Friday, and all I hear about from my grandma is how much like him I am. I fear he was a much better man than I’ll ever be. Gonna miss him.

Literally today I was thinking that Wendigoon’s upload schedule has been crazily consistent and after dropping such a large video he drops 2 more!

A more obvious theory that I think is kinda funny. Any time he mentions in his songs “the devil” or “hellhound on my tail” he’s talking about woman. His ‘side chicks’ if you will. Which makes waaaay more sense and makes the songs go from scary to funny.

26:31 This quote is right here. I played this video while driving back to Tennessee with my mother after the 4th of July with family down in Florida. She and I talked about my grandfather, the drummer for older rock and roll bands from the sixties. Specifically, we talked about how my grandfather and I are almost exactly alike in looks, temperament, and mannerisms. We both share a strong likeness with my great-grandfather Francis. Nearly all the men in our family look like my grandfather in the way we hold our eyes, in our builds, and our voices. And it was at that time stamp when the lapse in the conversation hit; it was so surreal and, simultaneously, such a gripping quote that I think about it very frequently.

Cant get over how similar Jimi Hendrix's story is to robert johnsons. Both created new waves of guitar playing, both became famous after they died, both produced less than 100 songs and both died at the age of 27

Robert Johnson really is such a legend. Especially with great songs like "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil Blues", "You might be the Devil, but you ain't my Daddy Blues", and the quintessential "Blue Mississippi Delta Blues Crossroad Blues Greyhound a Rollin on Blues Blues".

Fun fact to anyone who runs in the same sorta corner of the internet as me, the song Me and the Devil that’s used here was written by him. It’s the song at 31:00

Thank you so much for covering the story of Robert Johnson. Being from the south and into playing the blues myself, I've heard and looked into this story several times through the years. I never heard the part about Tommie Johnson. I'd heard about the late night graveyard sessions but not that it was Ike Zimmerman, whom he played with. Thank you for finally putting this legend to rest for me. Hell, like you say, the real story is even crazier.

The tale of Robert Johnson has always been one of my favorite tales in Black American music history. So eerie, and poignant.

Hey I found this unlisted!

I work at the hotel where Robert recorded his albums.... Suite 414 is the original room he recorded in and we still sell it to this day. Lots of memorabilia and dedication for him including Bar 414. I suggest everyone visit if you want a spooky stay at a haunted Hotel.

Robert Johnson’s so prolific the Japanese made a lore manga about him. Talk about transcendental talent and story.

I need a history teacher like Wendigoon. Bro makes things interesting and not stale like cardboard

Hearing the story of Robert Johnson is one of my favorites since I live so close to the locations, and I can tell how much his music and story has affected the culture down in Mississippi. People will sometimes bring offering to the crossroads in Clarksdale as well. Thank you covering Robert Johnson!

I love the homage to Johnson in "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" played by Chris Thomas King. The character is named Tommy Johnson, and he talks about selling his soul to the Devil. Great movie!

The devil putting a description of himself at the very end of the book seems like one of the trolliest things i've ever heard this guy do. I just imagined him putting a little smily guy with horns and a trident, beneath him says "made by me"

If any of you have played persona 4. You can actually see the photo of Robert Johnson used for the cover of his complete recordings compilations in the protagonists room. I always thought this was a cute detail especially with the thematic connection between the two

I love Twardowski's story so much, I remember my late grandma and her siblings telling me stories about him ever since I've been little and it always brings a smile to my face hearing Wendi trying to pronounce his last name. Little funfact, there still is a tavern in Poland called Rzym (Rome), I think even more than one actually. The whole legend at the tavern I've been to with my family is written on a wall with illustrations of the devil and Twardowski himself

In high school I was in music appreciation class. For one of our projects we picked from a list of musicians to cover and we’d have to share about them a week later. I was one of the last to go up and pick from the list and of the last names on that list was this guy. At first I was bummed out cuz I wanted a more modern musician but after doing research on him and listening to his music I was really satisfied with getting him to be covered. Once we had to share to the class all my stage fright went away and I was excited to share his story to my class. I’m sure most of the class didn’t care but I felt honored to be able to cover the grandfather of rock and roll, Robert Johnson

My mom used to live near the crossroads, and hated the area. Funny thing is, she's very musically talented and I like to say she passed it on to me and my brothers.

i've been here since wendigoon had 7k subscribers, his growth and development has been amazing, it's so heartwarming to see him approach 3 MILLION subscribers. please never stop putting out really fascinating long form content, it's some of the best on youtube.

Hey Wendigoon, i am a student in germany, who was assigned to read the entirety of Faust from Goethe for school. In the version i have read, The reason for the deal that Faust made with the Mephisto was not wealth, nor did it happen on a crosswalk. In that version, Faust seeks scientific breakthroughs but cant succeed, so he calls upon a 'higher power' to help him.

One day, me and my mom were watching some news on TV and they talked about how death animals have been found in the rails of a train and how they seemed to be ritualistic killings, to this my mom looked at me and said "those are four paths", and i was like "wut?", she explained to me that her grandmother (who was a witch, yeah, i know it's a weird story, I'm Mexican) told her that for some rituals they had to find a place where four paths connected (there's not a words for crossroads in spanish), the rails had a path across them so she was like "yeah, four paths".

Knowing the death date makes the birth date make a lot more sense for the legend. A founder of Rock and Roll being a member of the Forever 27 Club definitely leans into the greater mythology of the genre.

The more I watch Wendigoon the more I realize he's become my fashion icon. This is one of my favorites

That little explanation at 41:20 is exactly why I appreciate Wendigoon videos and recommend them to my friends. Well done.

Okay the devil narrative undersells the amount of work Robert had to put in but I just have to say: How badass of a story and how hard does that go where the devil comes to Robert and personally shows him a new sound and even possibly adding a whole new string to his guitar. I think the devil idea is cool if it's more like a teacher rather than Robert just magically gaining the new sound.

That hint of a grin when you described Robert Johnson’s music as “uncanny” says it all. There is a _mojo_ in that music. It’s still got that bite it had then.

Robert Johnson's story has always reminded me about the story of Niccolo Paganini also known as the Devil's Violinist. He was a famous violinist during the early 1800s from Italy. He was a child prodigy and by the age of 15 he was touring around Italy. He fell on hardtimes due to gambling his money away and being a womaniser and disappeared for a few years and when he returned he was playing even better than he was before. His amazing violin skills were believed to be a gift from the devil. He was particularly known for performing recitals without sheet music, memorising everything instead, and could play up to 12 notes per second. People believed he had made a pact with the devil. Another factor that added to this was his appearance. Due to his lanky and deathly pale appearance, he was also nicknamed “Rubber Man”, and rumours about him were countless. His amazing violin skills were believed to be a gift from the devil. Some believed they had seen his doppelganger with horns and hooves. Others claimed he had murdered women and imprisoned their souls within his instrument. There is even an account of lightning striking his violin during a performance.

I just went and paid my respects at his grave and a few other blues musicians graves last month, very cool to see wendi covering something that has a deep connection with me.

"Hellhound on my trail" and "I believe I'll dust my broom" are two of the greatest blues songs I've ever heard.

Have you ever heard of the second wave of Norwegian black metal? It’s a story that’s filled with betrayal, murder, and church burnings. I think it would make for a good video.

Cream/Eric Clapton's famous "Crossroads" was based on Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues". This man has inspired so many guitar legends we all know and love today. 60s and 70s blues & rock music (and their modern sub-genres) most likely wouldn't sound like they did if it weren't for him.

While I don't believe a word of it, the story is fire. The idea of an otherworldly figure materializing out of the mist, under the Mississippi stars is just magic. Thanks for sharing his true story too!

It would be neat to hear your perspective on the 27-club as a whole, there are a few really odd situations in it, and more than anything just the idea that all those people died during a specific year in their life is a bit intriguing and mysterious

This guy always has something interesting and unique to talk about

1:15 anyone notice the dresser moved?

I first heard about RJ as a kid in school, through a manga of all things. There's a manga called Me and the Devil Blues which is a fictional retelling of his life taking the devil aspect quite literally. I remember it being pretty dark and a little gory, literally haven't thought about it until now watching this! Another fascinating video Wendigoon, awesome work as always! I love these types of vids so much, folklore and mythology content I just eat up

16:59 Mr. Wendigoon, You have to sign a deal with the devil to avoid the wrath of not only me and my people, but especially my german teacher. Because not only did you pronounce Goethes name wrong,you also called him an english author. Godspeed!

I’ve only been watching your channel for a few months but it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. You are such a good story teller and I love the passion you put into your work.

I've heard dozens of dozens of the story of Robert Johnson told, but I'm sure yours is now my favorite. And you told it from the set of "60 minutes" which is even more impressive. 😊

I always liked to think that the Devil appears at crossroads as symbolic of instead of making a decision and committing to one thing rather than another, the person makes a deal to get it both ways, but is punished of course for being greedy, indecisive, or just generally weak in character.

Started watching for the rock & role legends, stayed for the history of demonic litigation

i’ve been such a fan of this story for years and there’s been so little coverage over it. i’m so happy u touched on this story and explained it so beautifully, thank you 🙌🙌🙌

this guy is an american treasure... like bro when he said he is reminiscent of rock and roll the same way your grandfather is reminiscent of you.. god it gave me chills and brought a tear to my eyes.. because he is just so good at explaining stuff its beautiful

Wendigoon gives mad scientist vibes who is calm & collected on camera and does wildest illegal experiments in secret

There's an episode in the first season of Metalocalypse that features a character who is an obvious reference to Robert Johnson (even sharing the last name and crossroads Faustian bargain background). It's cool to finally discover the backstory behind the real man the show was referencing.

I wanted to write you a small comment about my appreciation for your videos. I'm getting my doctorate in folklore; one of our constant conversations in the classroom is how the field of folkloristics has changed and how its popularity has waned in the past few decades (the academic analysis and interest in the field itself). However, I always show my colleagues and professors videos from creators like you who help prove to them that folkloric discourse is alive and well. So THANK YOU for always posting these awesome, detailed, researched, and FUN videos! Always looking forward to the next one.

I first saw his name while reading Eric Clapton's autobiography. Went to listen to his songs and it helped grow my love for blues. It's nice to hear the giddiness in your voice in the end when you talk about him. Truly a legend.