The Confirmed Photos of Robert Johnson - All Known Pictures
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- Опубліковано 11 лют 2022
- Robert Johnson is one of most influential musicians of the last 100 years. However, up until the mid-1980's, the general public believed there were no pictures of him still in existence. In the last forty years, three pictures have been confirmed by scholars to be him. Several other images, while popular, have been debunked. This video talks about which is which...
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Robert Johnson's spirit haunts us all to this day. He brought the blues to life, even in death.
Lol
The absence of any photos until the 1980s only added to the legend and the mystery I'm sure.
I’ve never seen that third photo of Robert before, only the first two… thanks for posting it. Also never noticed how long & thin his fingers were… ideal for picking out a mess of blues!
The 1st and 3rd dimestore photos have Robert Johnson playing a Kalamazoo K-14, built by Gibson in Kalamazoo, MI. The 2nd studio shot has Johnson with an L-1 Gibson flattop box.
I always admire his pinstripe suit.its hallmark 1930's suit.beautiful and sharp
The most striking thing about him were those fingers...
Amazing undercover work. Thank you for that. Robert Johnson is the grandfather of the Delta blues. Forever.
Thank you!
Actually, Robert Johnson is the nephew of the Delta blues and Charlie Patton is its grandfather and Son House its father, with Memphis Minnie its mother. Gitcher lineage right, mister.
@@markhoffman2237 I stand corrected sir 😎🤘
Ha ha ha! I'm glad you have a sense of humor unlike too many people on UA-cam, especially when it comes to Robert Johnson.
@@markhoffman2237 anyone that loves the blues is a brother of mine, and you should always yield to your brother. I don’t know everything about everything, but I do know I love them blues.
Living in Columbus, Ohio I had the privilege of meeting Robert Jr Lockwood a number of times when he ventured to Columbus to perform. He was like royalty to me!
very cool!
Seen him perform live, once, at our local blues joint. He was in his 80’s & still had absolute command of the instrument. His studio recording credits are phenomenal…a giant of the blues who typically gets overshadowed by to many, not even close to his talent & contributions to the genre. A staggeringly, talented artist; covering country Delta, RJ style, to uppity, B.B. King & beyond.
He had a Sunday night residency at a restaurant in Cleveland in the 90's. Think it was called Fat Fish Blue.
@@nickjones2656 I first met Robt. Jr about 1972 when he was performing at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus. A friend and I jumped the fence and saw him sitting in his Fleetwood before his show and spent an hour picking his brains about the old days with SonnyBoy Williamson and all the greats he played and traveled with.
The more we hear about Robert Johnson's legacy, the more we want to know. Deeply talented. What could have been in a long life lived.
Had to stop scrolling for this. Love Robert
I hadn't heard about the 3rd photo. Thanks so much for uploading!
Great stuff Todd. Love the images in the beginning showing how Johnson recorded with his head towards the corner of the room, to get a better sound.
Thank you for this. So clear and precise.
Johnny Shines travelled extensively with RJ and knows all his songs and plays them beautifully. He showed me some of Roberts' moves. From what I learned, Roberts' rambling seemed to be a result of anxiety disorder. It is certainly understandable that blacks who lived through the vicious Jim Crow era suffered psychological trauma before it was given the unfortunate label of "PTSD". Most of the bluesmen I met were gentlemen who were happy to share what they knew with their huge legions of white fans, they were truly survivors. Robert Pete Williams was an under-appreciated artist who was clearly traumatized by his treatment in Angola Prison and the hateful treatment dealt him by the state of Louisiana. Listening to some of his work today, he may have been the most spontaneous and inventive. I believe that suffering can make you a better artist.
Wish I'd seen Johnny Shines when he played at a local blues festival about 30 years ago. A friend of mine I've played music with often did once play with Johnny Shines so I can claim an extremely tenuous link with Robert Johnson! (less than) six degrees of separation!
A hellhound on my trail would give me anxiety and make me ramble on. RIP Robert. 🫡
The man that started rock and roll
😂
i loved the song that you had in back ground
Loved those pics 😊
Super info, cheers
Exellent video🙏Thanks plus R🕯P Robert Johnson🎸🎙🙏
Thank you!
I love Robert Johnson's music and appreciate his groundbreaking contribution to the Delta Blues. Thank you for showing the third photo, which I have never seen.❤
Great Video !
Great Production..I enjoyed it very much...Have the best day ever! Cool Beans 😎🎸
Thank you!
Great Job! Thanks!
Thank you!
Thank you 🙏. 👍☮️🌞🎸🩵🎵
Great stuff.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you!
real blues right there ❤
Excellent work
Thank you.
If only attics and basements could talk and tell tales of lost photos and video recordings of Johnson and other musicians of that era. I will go to my grave believing that Robert Johnson is on some 8mm video tape somewhere waiting to be found.
As good as he was, I'd be surprised if he wasn't on film somewhere had he lived another 10-15 years. He passed in '38... I wish radio stations from back then were able to normal record their shows...I'd love to hear what Johnson played when him (and I believe Shines) played on air live up North.
Man...wouldn't it just be great if something (anything) new of Johnson turned up?
Mance Lipscomb knew of Robert Johnson but didn't meet him. Mance was a killer bluesman.
Good info man. Thank you.
Thank you!
@@StillLivinTheBlues You bet.
Acoustic blues is the only blues for me!
I still get goosebumps when I hear his recordings.
Well done. Thx
Thank you.
I liked Robert's sister's book. Sure is too bad how Mack M messed things up. Thanks for the upload !
A fourth photograph of Robert Johnson with his nephew Louis was loaned to researcher Mack McCormick in the 1970's but has yet to be returned to the family. This photo dates from the same time of the famous studio portrait.
Yes. Bruce Conforth once told me about this photo. I considered mentioning it in my video. I opted not too because of two reasons...
1) It has never appeared in public.
2) It's VERY possible that McCormick lost the picture. McCormick passed away in 2015. If the picture didn't turn up while he was alive, it's really doubtful it will in the time since he passed.
Was Louis the Sailor? I know Anye Anderson discussed that in her book, and this alleged 4th photo. Must admit, thought it was with brother Son rather than nephew, eitherways would be great if showed up. Always a possibility that McCormick's family have kept a hold of it and could be in an attic somewhere. Could also be legal complications around it I suppose, as I know it was all long and messy.
@@StillLivinTheBlues The fourth photo was kept in a safe in Mexico, McCormick himself testified to that (The Ballad of Geeshie and Elvie - The New York Times, 2014).
Last week McCormick's daughter donated his entire archive to the Smithsonian. Chances are the photo is among that donation. I even heard of a recording (or where abouts of a recording) by Robert Johnson that McCormick had possesion of. We'll have to wait what news will come out of Washington.
McCormick's Magnum Opus "Biography of a Phantom, A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey" will come out next April.
@@SlimDavenport Yup. Can't wait. I'm working on a video about that right now. Thanks.
@@StillLivinTheBlues alright, look forward to it.
That was very interesting especially the 3rd photo I never seen B4 his music was inspired by many great musicians Today & the blues will live on 4 ever Thanks Patrick ☺️
Interesting video. Thank you for posting it. Who's the artist of the painting at the beginning? It's very good.
That was fantastic 👍
Thank you.
I remember, i was maybe 7 or 8 listening my first piece of blues, what an intense sensation of dialogue with my soul, feeling blue 💙 and crying. Nothing else touched me until I heard Kurt Cobain in an other style. I discovered Johnson in late, what an upheaval, my mind travel in 30' by all the feelings I ever experiment over decades. the carelessness of childhood, the intensity of adolescence, the voluntary naivety to marvel still during the torments of adulthood...
The power in music. Hang in there!
Wow, that was really interesting because for decades i have known those first two pictures as the only 2 confirmed pictures and frankly i was always dubious about how they were verified in the first place and honestly whether it was even the same person. that third photo i actually was not even aware of but it is really cool because that photo bridges the first two for me, even though i was always suspicious if the first two were the same photo that third photo i can clearly see as being the same person that is in the first two.
there are really similar issues with several unconfirmed photos that some people believe may be of Billy The Kid or Doc Holiday.
i am a music lover first but i am a massive history nerd second and it is always so intriguing seeing these lost photos of legends and icons be discovered
Fantastic
thank you
I enjoyed this ✌🏾🇬🇧📿💃🏽
Thank you!
@@StillLivinTheBlues Nice Narration ❤easy on the Ear !
He's the one guy i would go back in time to see if i could.
When they released all his recordings in the early 90s some bright spark in the music industry said ' This guy's album is selling loads, we need to get him doing gigs' !!! Knowing some of the teens working in the industry then it doesn't surprise me. I always thought it was just the two photos, never seen the one where he's smiling.
The disputed photo of Robert Johnson holding a guitar beside another guy was found by a fellow named Zeke who worked at Matt Umanov's Guitars in New York. I spoke to Zeke once and he told me the story of finding that photo. He certainly thought it was authentic but many have brought its authenticity into question.
Yeah, there was a lot of excitement about that photo when it first appeared. It didn't take long for it to be agreed upon as not being Robert Johnson. In fact, there are folks saying the picture has been doctored... I don't know if that's true, but I don't see any reason to believe that is Robert Johnson. The truth is that every photo we have a Johnson came from his family... While I guess anything is possible, I just don't see anything else really turning up.
@@StillLivinTheBlues I agree, that the greatest likelihood of an authentic photo of Robert Johnson would come from friends and family. Many years ago I met and photographed David Honeyboy Edwards who apparently travelled and played with Robert Johnson. I didn't ask him, but I don't believe he ever had a photo of him. If he did, I am sure we would have seen it by now.
We are probably lucky to have these three photos of Robert considering where he came from and his circumstances...he was always on the move for one thing and he was probably to a great degree a loner....
I agree. Especially when you look at other popular blues men of the time... Like Peetie Wheatstraw. He made something like 200 recordings, and yet there is only one picture of him.
@@StillLivinTheBlues he should never sold his soul to the devil, now he's suffering in hell, being tormented for eternity-this is called a 2nd death according to the holy bible. blues music were created by the devil. After all, lucifer/satan (the former archangel) was the best musician in heaven before his fall. And when you listen to R.J's recordings (all his music talked about was the devil and hellhound on his trail). We gotta stop listening to this type of music and we all need to accept Jesus-pls. listen to gospel instead.
He is the first musician in the 27 club.
I thought it was Alexandre Levy
Zzzzz
And the 69 club too if you know what I’m sayin’!
Composer Andr
Composer Alexandre Levy beat Johnson by about 70 years by dying in 1864. Johnson was the first American.
Two recording sessions. Insane.
Nicely presented. I just read Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles, in which he mentions an 8 second cine clip. Can you tell us anything about that?
I haven't read the book... But I''ll see what I can find out. Thanks!
Unfortunately this Robert often dims another great Johnson, LONNIE JOHNSON, who is in no way lesser that Rob.
And let's not forget Tommy Johnson.
Mack McCormick had a fourth photo of Robert Johnson that he stole from Johnson's sister, Carrie Thompson. McCormick promised Thompson he'd make a copy of it and send it back to her, but he never did. Thompson finally wrote to McCormick to demand that he return the photo. He sent her an empty envelope as if to mock her. You can read about all that and more in a wonderful book called "Brother Robert," written by Annye Anderson, Johnson's stepsister. McCormick's daughter donated this fourth photo of Johnson to the Smithsonian Institution.
Just to be honest, I do believe there is a little more to that story than what you've stated.
I've read Mrs. Anderson's book, which I value immensely. I've also read Mack's book, and the comments the Smithsonian Institution has made about that photo, and the history between Mack McCormick and Carrie Thompson, Bessie Hines, and of course, Mrs. Anderson. I believe John Troutman, who edited Mack's book, wrote that the Smithsonian Institution has given back to Mrs. Anderson that 4th photo, which shows Johnson and his nephew.
This video is Electric!
thanks!
I Loved this video I’m starting to learn how to play the guitar and Johnson is one of my inspirations like Johnson I couldn’t play the guitar either at first and now I’m getting better and better at it every day although I do still have a long way to go and although I didn’t sell my soul to the devil in order to be able to play the guitar like Robert did but I am learning on my own and I’m trying to eventually one day be able to play the Delta blues like just like Robert did I went from being a mess on the guitar to starting to get better and better thanks for making the video really does inspire a delta blues player like me also that doing playing in the background is that a Robert Johnson song playing ?
Just keep practing and playing... That's how you grow.
The background music isn't Robert Johnson. UA-cam doesn't allow you to use the music of other folks on your videos.
Thanks for watching...and keep playing! :)
@@StillLivinTheBlues thanks i will indeed :)
2:07 Got mine on cassette tape at Al's record hut
I did a drawing of him years ago and I was shocked at how long his face and fingers really are. Wonder if he had that elastic complication (whatever it's called) that Niccolò Paganini had?
I live in San Antonio and have been by room 414 at the Gunter many times
I am a member of the Caruthersville Historical Society and would love to find out the name of the Jeweler Store where Robert Johnson bought his Gibson Kalamazoo KG-14 from.
In my video about the guitar, I have a local newspaper ad showing the stores name, and them advertising that they sell Gibson guitars. I believe they published the ad in the local newspaper right before Johnson/Shine would have gotten to town. So, its very possible they saw the ad... The name and ad is in this video ua-cam.com/video/LCPljsfaKmA/v-deo.html
It was either "T.L. Guard Jeweler", or "T. E. Guard Jeweler". There may have been a spelling error in the original ad... If you find any information about the Jeweler, I would appreciate it if you got back with me. Thank you!
I play his KG14 guitar from the dirty 30s 🤠🖤🤠
Them Blues Players 💙 Crossroads
❤😊
Read the book "Brother Robert" by his step sister Annye who is still alive and teaching in Massachusetts!!! She knew him firsthand, had the dime store photos nobody knew about shown here. She talks of how record/publishing companies stole the rights to his images/music out from under his/her family. She also puts to rest "Sold his Soul to the Devil" myth. He practiced a lot! She also says his favorite music was Country music (Jimmie Rodgers etc.) which her Dad - his Step Dad, loved.
A great book. IMO, that book has the most honest portrayal of Robert Johnson.
the length of his fingers is more than impressive!
What chord is he playing in his pic with guitar?
There’s only one known photo of the legendary jazz trumpet player Buddy Bolden.
Love the knowledge, I have a saying "if it ain't blues it's $#!%."
He is king of Delta blues
The man’s fingers in the photo on the left are shorter and constructed much differently than the man in the center photo. The man in the right photo has similar fingers to the man on the left. But, it’s difficult to see them due the cropping of the picture.
we only have 3 pictures..... In a way it's even better.... It gives him even more "persona" and the mythology will stay intact.
Also, it forms part of the Robert Johnson mystique.
While the photos of Robert Johnson are of tremendous historical significance and certainly are of great interest to blues enthusiasts, I actually felt a little disappointed when the verified photos were first published. They took away a lot of the mystique and mythology that surrounded Robert Johnson. Here he was, just a regular guy, and not some otherworldly figure. It was kind of like finding out that Santa Claus was really your father. Oh well, I got over it, ha ha. The mystery is shattered, but the music is forever.
The newest photo released is surely the best.
I still can't believe how close that 4th one (with J Shines) resembles RJ. The dead eye, the fingers (who had fingers like that?!?) Yet one look at the earlobes and you can straight away determine it wasn't him (RJ had danglers- The man in the photo had connectors)
Some folks believe that photo was manipulated. If so, that could explain how close to they look to the real people.
F'ing cool video
thank you!
Curious as the why Steve LaVerre was not mentioned as the one who found the two photos.
Johnson's family member, Carrie Thompson, had the photographs.
@@StillLivinTheBlues Correct. But Steve visited Carrie in her home and he found them in an old chest. He deserves a lot of credit for introducing Johnson to the greater public.
@@johncoopwood7226 McCormick was there first and took at least one photo. Carrie then searched some more herself and found more photos. LaVere didn't really found them, he got lucky in some way showing up at the right time. LaVere was not popular in blues circles as he got a percentage of everytime someone did something relating to Robert Johnson.
@@SlimDavenportLavere was also accused of being a thief. He once worked for Sam Phillips & was accused of stealing at least 1 Unreleased Howling Wolf recording. He earned a bad reputation here in Memphis
@@memphisleftovers Guitar forums are filled with blues players who refer to LaVere as a litigious shark.
3:22 is Robert Johnson... I'm so certain because of his long fingers.
I thought the same
Etheral blues music , from the master, has anyone ever noticed the similarity between the long skiny fingers of Robert Johnson & Jimi Hendrix, sadly both members of the 27 club.
Johnson a genius unequaled to this day. I dogs a whole mess o Johnson blues
The studio photo is the only image where any of these three men are playing a real chord. ??????
Does any of this mention they called him Blind Lemon Johnson cuz I have to listen later.
Sorry, Blind Lemon Johnson isn't mentioned in this video.
Thanks for your reply ❤
Finally got Annye Anderson's book, Love it, the depth of the family background is unparalelled, Mccormick and LeVere sure don't come out of it too well.apparently the manuscript of McCormicks book 'Biography of a Phantom' was published last year too, anyone read it?
I did. It has some interesting stuff in it, but the Smithsonian chose to take out the interviews with Johnson's family, and the picture of Robert with his nephew.
thanks, will get it as part of the story, that would be the photo with his nephew in the navy uniform i guess, i wonder if the smithsonian were worried about a copywright issue?@@StillLivinTheBlues
The folks at the Smithsonian have said that they are giving the photo back to Annye Anderson. No one has said anything more about it. I'm sure at some point, it will become released to the public. It will likely be the last Johnson photo to be seen.
@@user-ng8pr9dc3e
why do i think ive seen that pic, is it in up jumped the devil? Anyway i hope it gets back to Annye while shes still alive, im going to start in memphis and wander around those streets she mentions in the book, i love the fact that the pics are recent like 2018, so it should be recognisable now
@@StillLivinTheBlues
Also Amazon says the publication date of the McCormick book is Feb, how did uget it already? unless thats just when Amazon will have it
@@StillLivinTheBlues
HEY HEY BOBBY J
HIS MUSIC LIVES ON PEOPLE
CARLOS GUITARLOS 90042 USA
Looking at the confirmed photos, he had long thin fingers. Good for playing guitar.
Every modern song can be traced back to one of his 29 songs.
Just have a look at his fingers. 😮
No wonder, that he knew how to play zhe guitar
Just read the excellent book 'up jumped the devil' about RJ, - no RJ no rock riffs of today
There is a lot of good information in that book...but there is also some stuff in it that probably isn't the "real truth" about Robert Johnson. So don't take everything in it as the gospel truth about the music legend. My 2 cents... :) Thanks for leaving a comment!
Hi does anyone know the whole story? probably not, all adds to the fascination ! what elements of the book would you say are doubtful? is there a more accurate book I should read? The fascination started with Keith Richards and Eric Clapton giving RJ a lot of credit, and of course the cover versions 'love in vain' 'stop breaking down' etc. My next holiday from Ireland will be to do the 'blues trail' tourist thing in Mississippi, even though some of the tiny towns have apparently totally gone now, have you ever done that? any guidance as to where to start/what not to miss? Thanks!
@@StillLivinTheBlues
@@user-ng8pr9dc3e Hey! I've been to several places on the Blues Trail, but there are still a lot of places to see and visit! I think the simplest way do explain it is too start in Memphis, and head down to New Orleans. There are a lot of places in Mississippi to see, and you'd just have to plan on what spots you'd want to visit most. If possible, also visit Helena, Arkansas. Basically, you can zig zag from Memphis to New Orleans. There are just so many places in between... This web page might help you out. msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers
thanks for this i found a list on the tourist website but the list you send gives the towns so we can plan a route@@StillLivinTheBlues
@@user-ng8pr9dc3e
Brother Robert is a good book to read. Mrs. Anderson knew Robert personally and was family. She's the only author who wrote a book about Johnson, that actually knew him.
Up Jumped the Devil does have plenty of good information, but the book has a lot of problems also.
Off hand, the biggest issues I have with it is one… The made-up information about Ike Zimmerman. The authors lift Zimmerman up, giving the impression that he was Robert’s most important (essential even?) teacher, but that can’t be proven. In fact, the book claimed Ike was the best guitarist Robert ever heard. That’s made up by the author. From what I understand, basically everything we know about Ike Zimmerman comes from his family. But, listen to interviews with them…there is a lot of problems with what is written and with what has been said. They claim Ike taught Johnson how to play, yet there seems to be enough stories out there that tell us that Robert was out playing live before he moved to Copiah Co. One member said Ike taught Johnson how to play Harmonica, but in Son House’s famous story about Robert’s guitar playing is like noise, he claimed that Johnson was already a really good harmonica player.
It's been claimed that Zimmerman was a popular, well-known musician in the area…but when Mack McCormick visited the area in the early 70’s, he gathered a list of well-known popular local musicians who knew, or might’ve known Robert Johnson…and Zimmerman wasn’t on that list. (David Evens mentioned that too me in conversations) In fact, it seems like some people in the area remember Robert…but not Zimmerman. (More can be said, but I’ll stop there.)
Another problem is Up Jumped the Devil named the man who murdered Robert. Where is the evidence? The book claims this information was given to them by Mack McCormick, but where is it? Private conversations? The Smithsonian Institution, which has McCormick’s collection of notes, claimed there isn’t anything in the collection that backed Up Jumped The Devil’s claim of knowing the murderer.
Off hand, I guess those are the two big narrative issues I disagree with. I also struggle with a morality issue with buying/owning this book… One of the authors, Bruce Conforth, was a teacher at the University of Michigan, and was having improper relationships with female students. A simple Google search can give you more information. It’s disturbing.
Musicologist David Evens wrote a review of Up Jumped the Devil that’s out there on the internet. In it, he talked about several factual errors in the book. I can think of one I personally found on pg 238 where it talked about Johnson, Shines, Frazier following HWY 55 to St. Louis. That’s impossible because HWY 55 didn’t begin construction until the 1950’s and wasn’t finished in Missouri until the late 60’s, early 70’s. Robert died in 1938. Evens still praised the good in the book… which I do too. It’s an amazing gathering of select Robert Johnson information. I think the book is worth reading… I just wish there wasn’t some certain dark clouds hanging over it.
Just my 2 cents… Thanks for posting.
Robert has got long fingers.
Really he was only 5' 8 and 140 pounds. His fingers look long because of his tendons which are lanky because of his build. Also playing guitar is exercise for the fingers and hands so you get used to stretching them. But l think people over estimate the size of his hands
@@calebjay1wilson4315'8" 140 explains why that cigarette looked so big.
Nowadays "musicians" take more shelfies than make music 😂
Andrew Hickey of The History of Rock Music in 500 Songs podcast pointed out that Johnson was virtually unknown in his day & only became influential when the King of the Delta Blues album came out & white musicians discovered it. So he was not an influence on any of the famous black artists in the biggest period of rock & blues.
Could you have played an original recording?
No. It would have been a copyright issue.
I really believe they have footage of Robert Johnson but for whatever reason the public isn't allowed to view this footage yet just like listening to the 2pac and Angie Martinez interview 59 years later. I believe if they have footage of Sun House and Skip James then they got at least one piece of footage of him on the street or turned away.
He played on the corner for tips. Hat out on the street.
I've read in various places that his family has other pictures of him. How true that is, I don't know. Either way, he's got quite the conk!
In the UK, that means the man has a large nose. And he does, doesn't he? Quite the hooter on the chap.
Jorma Kaukonen keeps him alive!!!
He didn't pass away...he was murdered...there is a difference... lol....
Not really. Both mean your dead. Besides, the story of him being posioned can't be confirmed. It's very possible it happened, but we can't know for sure.
@@StillLivinTheBlues If I'm not mistaken Honeyboy Edwards confirmed that.🙈🙉🙉🥃
@@StillLivinTheBlues
You're not your.
@@douglaspaterson5269 he should never sold his soul to the devil, now he's suffering in hell, being tormented for eternity-this is called a 2nd death according to the holy bible. blues music were created by the devil. After all, lucifer/satan (the former archangel) was the best musician in heaven before his fall. And when you listen to R.J's recordings (all his music talked about was the devil and hellhound on his trail). We gotta stop listening to this type of music and we all need to accept Jesus-pls. listen to gospel instead.
@@neilparedes-chavez1688 The devil is in gospel too.😉🙈🙉🙊
crossroads
A 4th photo was donated to the Smithsonian by Robert’s family and they will decide when to release it.
He sadly joined the 27 club.
I believe Robert started it. (I could be wrong tho)
He was the first musician.
I didn’t know he was black
Two more might be in the possession of The Smithsonian.
I know one is. (Robert and his nephew). I have no idea when they will release it though. Supposedly, they are giving the photo back to Annye Anderson.
2 known photos
3 (and sometime in the future, a 4th)
Johnson's influence is over-emphasized because of clapton
I don't think Robert Johnson much influenced any rock or modern blues guitarists in terms of their sound. His legend was handy to invoke as an inspiration but he was a country blues acoustic slide guitarist with a very deft touch on the slide, a lot of nuance in the rhythm and a sense of space between the notes. Electric rock/blues guitarists like Clapton just don't have that sound. Cream at their best were awesome, and Clapton's best work was with them, but their power trio version of Crossroads really only shares the lyrics and the basic riff with Johnson's original (and to my ears Johnson's version rules over any covers). The blues rock sound of players like Clapton is based far more on Chicago electric blues. Of course the city blues evolved from the country blues, and a figure like Muddy Waters was a master of both, so there is some influence from the country blues to rock, but it is indirect and mediated through the city sound.
No matter how many Robert Johnson (or Charley Patton) songs are covered, their sound and style defy imitation. And given that slide was such a distinctive part of that sound, no rock or modern blues guitarist has ever come near that ability on slide guitar.
So yeah, Robert Johnson was a truly great guitarist and a lot of rock guitarists liked his music and were attracted to his story, but his influence on their actual sound was nowhere near as much as the electric city blues guitarists.