Historical Marker
Robert Johnson Birthplace
Hazlehurst, Copiah County · Mississippi
Erected 2008
Robert Johnson's skill was explained by a deal with the devil, a story that rests partly on a miscount. When Johnson left the Delta after his wife and baby died in 1930, he came to Hazlehurst looking for his father and apprenticed with guitarist Ike Zinnerman. Son House recalled Johnson returning after six months an expert; historians think it was nearer two years. House's shorter reckoning made the improvement look supernatural. Johnson was born in Hazlehurst to a mother who had separated from her husband, and whether he ever found his father is unknown.
Where it stands
31.86140, -90.39440 · Directions
More markers nearby
- Hazlehurst — steps away
- Mrs. Annie Coleman Peyton (1852-1894) — steps away
- Bus-Train Collision of 1942 — 8.9 mi
- Tommy Johnson — 9.0 mi