The Real-Life Blues Musician Who Partially Inspired Sinners
- UpRising Editors
- May 3
- 2 min read
Updated: May 5
[[IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING]]
The film’s protagonist recalls another guitar-strumming wunderkind
By now, we hope it’s safe to assume that you’ve seen Sinners. (If not, what are you waiting for?!)
The instant classic tells the story of the Southern Black American experience in the 1930s, with messages about art, culture, and ownership woven throughout. Oh, and there are vampires, too! One of the main characters of this original period piece is based on an actual music icon who was born more than one century ago. That’s right: Sammy’s character (played by breakout star Miles Caton) was loosely inspired by blues legend Robert Johnson.
Legend has it that Johnson traveled to a deserted crossroads one night long ago to make a deal with the devil. According to folklore, the alleged pact is responsible for the singer/songwriter/guitarist’s incredible musical talent — one just like the gifts that Sammy exhibits in Sinners.
The film is based in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the birthplace of blues and the site of the aforementioned crossroads. And a theme that runs through Sinners is the fraught relationship between spiritual and secular music; Sammy’s preacher dad dubs the blues as ungodly.
Don’t let the film’s title (or Sammy’s pops) fool you, though: Sinners is divine.
Get into Robert Johnson’s catalog to keep the musical journey going.
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Further reading: This essay gets real personal about the movie’s family ties — the author, Taryn Finley, is Johnson’s distant cousin.
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