Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” has become one of the most famous songs in blues history, even though the original recording was made in a small hotel room in San Antonio, Texas, in 1936.
The song, also known as “Crossroads,” was recorded by Johnson during his third recording session at the Gunter Hotel on Nov. 27, 1936, per Texas Public Radio. Nearly nine decades later, it remains a major part of the blues tradition and has influenced generations of musicians.
Johnson recorded the song alone, using his voice and acoustic slide guitar. At the time, he was a traveling blues musician with limited public recognition. The original version was released in 1937 and was mainly heard around the Mississippi Delta…