| Address |
| Rosedale, Mississippi, United States |
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| Information |
Leo's Market
This spot marks the former location of Leo's Market (at the entrance of a state park) at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 8 just outside the city of Rosedale, Mississippi. Leo's Market was the home of the Crossroads Blues Society of Mississippi and had plenty of stories to tell about blues legend Robert Johnson. It appears to have been closed recently and is now home to the Blue Levee Market. It is unknown whether the new business still hosts the Crossroads Blues Society of Mississippi.
The Crossroads
The intersection of 1 and 8 is one of the rumored crossroads where blues legend Robert Johnson was said to make the deal with the devil in exchange for his amazing guitar skills. The basis of this belief appears to come from a vision that was experienced by a man named Henry Goodman (see below). Some further point out that Rosedale is also the only location that Johnson actually refers to in song as evidence that this might indeed be the spot. Though the song Traveling Riverside Blues doesn't actually mention any crossroads, devil, or anything related, it does have the line "Lord, I'm goin' to Rosedale, gon' take my rider by my side."
The Vision
According to the story (read the full transcript at the site listed below), Johnson was traveling through Rosedale on his way to Helena on a dark night when the moon was full. Johnson was reportedly stewing over comments made by blues legend Son House and others about his poor guitar skills. Just then, he meets a man sitting on a log with a crazed dog (or hellhound) at his side. The man offers Johnson the chance to become the "King of the Delta Blues," but warns, "There are consequences." No papers are needed, Johnson only needs to continue on to Rosedale and the blues and title will be his. Or he could take the roads to west, east, and south and forget it ever happened. Needless to say, the legend has Johnson continuing on into Rosedale and straight into blues history. |
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| Related Sites |
Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in Rosedale, Mississippi
An article courtesy of Rolf Potts' Vaggabonding Blog that has Henry Goodman's complete account of his vision of Robert Johnson and the devil at the crossroads below Rosedale, Mississippi. |
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| Similar Destinations |
| The Robert Johnson Center |
| Jekyll & Hyde Club |
| Delta Blues Museum |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| There are no other pages on this site associated with this location. |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues |
Rockin' Down the Highway: The Cars and People That Made Rock Roll |
Searching for Robert Johnson: The Life and Legend of the "King of the Delta Blues Singers" |
Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues |
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