Robert Johnson

Robert's life in "Stones in My Passway, Hellhound on My Trail" parallels that of the famous blues artist Robert Johnson. Contemporary blues artist Eric Clapton called Robert Johnson "the most important blues musician who ever lived." Clapton insisted that Johnson was "true, absolutely, to his own vision," and the most "deeply soulful" musician he had ever heard. He adds that Johnson's music "remains the most powerful cry ... you can find in the human voice." Like the Robert in the story, Johnson became a successful recording artist. During the late 1930s, he recorded several songs for Vocalion Records.

According to historian Stephen C. LaVere, Johnson "had very little trouble making himself popular with the girls. In fact, he had more trouble keeping his hands off them." LaVere suggests that Johnson's lifestyle "eventually ... would be his downfall." The historian also notes that Johnson "couldn't handle his liquor at...