Is the Story of Blues Legend Robert Johnson actually true?

The story of Robert Johnson a first hand account

I knew a Blues legend named Robert Lockwood, Jr. He was the only known student of famed bluesman Robert Johnson—the man who, according to legend, "sold his soul to the devil."

But Lockwood didn't tell the story that way.

I also personally knew David "Honeyboy" Edwards, who was with Robert Johnson the night he died. His recollections didn't involve anything supernatural either.

Over the years, the music business has built a lot of mythology around artists. Some of it is true, some of it is exaggerated, and some of it simply makes for a better story. Robert Johnson may be one of the greatest examples.

The explanation Lockwood gave me was much simpler.

Johnson essentially disappeared from the scene for about a year. When he returned, he was a dramatically better musician.

What happened during that time?

Most likely, he worked.

He honed his craft away from the people who had known him before. And if you devote a year of your life to your art with real intention, you can come back sounding like an entirely different musician.

In some ways, I think that's more interesting than the legend.

Lockwood certainly acknowledged that Robert Johnson was an extraordinary and unique player. But when he talked about Johnson's disappearance and transformation, he offered a much more human explanation for it.

There are a lot more stories—and stories within the stories—about these people that I'd like to share.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel, follow me here, or join my email list. I'll be sharing more of them.

Where I Was on September 11, 2001

“Bullets All Over My Head” Mike Dyson

Everybody remembers where they were on September 11, 2001. It was our generation’s Kennedy assassination.

I was in my business law class in high school. I came in early that day to take a test I had missed.

Sometime during this, the teacher came in the room and shortly thereafter turned on the tube television that used to be on those roller carts.

We saw the towers, at least one of them from what I can remember, on fire.

It seemed strange to me.

My dad was actually at the Twin Towers in the 90’s for a meeting 10 days before the first time it was hit by a terrorist attack. That time someone detonated a truck bomb in the parking garage or something like that.

Anyways, I can’t remember if we saw the second plane go into the building live or not. I had come in early, so that actually is probably what happened. Of course the second plane was validation that the 1st was not an accident.

I could go on for days about September 11th, the aftermath, the geopolitical landscape and war.

If you listen to my material, you know I am someone who has seen the way things are in other parts of the world.

One thing I’ve learned from traveling is that things are not always as simple as they appear from where we happen to be standing.

The Story Behind "Living in a Pipedream

This is a clip of me discussing the story behind my song "Living in a Pipedream".

This is from a longer story which I will probably post on my YouTube channel but it tells the whole story in detail about being detained by the Mexican police and everything associated with that encounter.

The song itself is a blend of many experiences but it's really a contrast between the American existence and what else occurs around the world.

What it boils down to is many people who complain or comment on things that happen in America really only do so because they don't have an actual reference point for where their own freedom sits on the spectrum.

You can make of it what you will but that's the essence of it.

As songwriters we do have opinions but a lot of what we chronicle is really observation for the most part.

Storytelling about things as they are or putting it in whatever context that might help people understand.

-Mike Dyson

Early beginnings as a musician and artist

This is a clip of me discussing some of my early influences in the town where I am from called Irving, Texas.

For those of you who know this is where the Dallas Cowboys used to play before they moved to Arlington and it's a metropolis of its own right.

Irving used to be a dry town and to get alcohol you had to drive across the bridge to Dallas. They have since changed that rule.

It was a very musical town and my uncle ran in a lot of the same circles as some of Dallas' most notable musicians such as Stevie Ray Vaughan.

He was a huge influence on me and as I describe in the video I'm not sure he's really aware of that.

He used to play at this local jam hall called The Pigeon Hole that was run by a local musician and some of the most amazing players came in there.

I never played because honestly I didn't really think I was good enough. Of course that changed over time and I still never played there before it closed but it still became a den for inspiration for me.

One of the best summers of my life was right after I graduated high school. We used to go there every weekend. It was a blast.

Take a listen to the video.

- Mike Dyson

The Story Behind Behind Enemy Lines - The One Take Recording

The actual story behind my song “Behind Enemy Lines” is legitimately insane.

I wrote it on my acoustic guitar and the song itself was very simple.

Then I took that into the studio with a bass player and drummer - who were incredible - and just started playing.

It was a one take recording of a song that I had never played electrically before EVER and that the studio musicians had never heard before EVER.

We all just started playing and that was it.

When we were done the drummer said something like “Damn that was some Dave Matthews shit”.

I responded that I didn’t know what it was but sort of in disbelief at what he had just captured.

That’s the “magic” and mystery of this type music I create.

Realistically even the best producers in the world would never create a song like that and the reasons are many.

It doesn’t fit any sort of mold, follow a traditional model and it certainly doesn’t have a singa long quality to to it.

But it doesn’t have to and that’s why it works.

This clip is of the bridge. An epic powerchord buildup.

So much more to say about the entire process behind this song. Maybe I’ll share that in another post.

I just wanted to share this brief clip.

-Mike Dyson