Grandson to Record in 1936 Gunter Hotel Room

Steven Johnson, the grandson of blues legend Robert Johnson, will enter Room 414 at the San Antonio Gunter Hotel this November to record a new album. The sessions mark the 90th anniversary of the 1936 recording that established the Mississippi guitarist as a foundational figure in popular music. Johnson will utilize the hotel's Gunter Studio to cut the tracks, which the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation plans to release.

The hotel is organizing a three-day event from November 12 to 14 to coincide with the anniversary. The program features performances by Robert Randolph, who recently won his first Grammy for Preacher Kids, and Ally Venable. The Steve L. Johnson Band will also perform in the Saturday showcase at the Crystal Ballroom. Marco Cervantes, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, will emcee the events. Tickets for the main showcase begin at $59.

Daily activities include studio tours led by producer Michael Ramos on Thursday evening. A Robert Johnson Revue featuring Nicky Diamonds will perform in the Studio Lounge on the same night. The Aaron Stephens Trio is scheduled for Bar 414 from 9 p.m. to midnight. On Friday, Hector Saldaña will moderate a conversation with the Robert Johnson Family in the Gunter Studio Lounge from 6 to 7 p.m. Tomar & The FCs and Jordan Matthew Young will perform in the Crystal Ballroom from 8 to 10 p.m., while Nick Brown & The Blues Cruise plays at Bar 414 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The Gunter Hotel reopened in 2025 following a $70 million renovation. The property has integrated its musical history into its operations by opening the recording studio to emerging artists. A music council guides these initiatives, including members Adrian Quesada, Will Bridges, Noel Bridges, and Garrett T. Capps. The hotel also maintains a record lending library in the lobby and equips every guest room with a turntable and a copy of King of the Delta Blues Singers.

Jiwon Choi, the hotel owner, stated that the Gunter is honored to gather talented individuals to celebrate the property's history and Johnson's legacy. He noted that the mission is to honor past artists and encourage future generations who may pass through the hotel's doors.

The 1936 session took place when Robert Johnson, then 25, checked into the hotel. The recordings from that visit influenced later acts such as Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. The current events extend that lineage by placing Johnson's grandson in the same physical space where the original tracks were captured.