nThis intimate memoir by blues legend Robert Johnsons stepsister includes new details about his family, music, influences, tragic death, and musical afterlife. nThough only twenty-seven years young and relatively unknown at the time of his tragic death in 1938, Robert Johnsons enduring recordings have solidified his status as a progenitor of the Delta Blues style. And yet, while his music has retained the steadfast devotion of modern listeners, much remains unknown about the man who penned and played these timeless tunes. Few people alive today actually remember what Johnson was really like, and those who do have largely upheld their silence -- until now. nIn Brother Robert, nonagenarian Annye Anderson sheds new light on a real-life figure largely obscured by his own legend: her kind and incredibly talented stepbrother, Robert Johnson. This book chronicles Johnsons unconventional path to stardom -- from the harrowing story behind his illegitimate birth, to his first strum of the guitar on Andersons fathers knee, to the genre-defining recordings that would one day secure his legacy. nAlong the way, Anderson not only shares personal anecdotes, but also colorful recollections of Johnson passed down by members of their family -- the people who knew him best. She also outlines the contours of Johnsons working life in Memphis, never-before-disclosed details about his romantic history, and all of his favorite things, from foods and entertainers to brands of tobacco and pomade. Together, these stories dont just bring the mythologized Johnson back down to earth; they preserve both his memory and his integrity. nFor decades, Anderson and her family have ignored the tall tales of Johnson selling his soul to the devil and the speculative to fictionalized accounts of his life that passed for biography. Brother Robert is here to set the record straight. Featuring a foreword by Elijah Wald and a Q&A with Anderson, Lauterbach, Wald, and Peter Guralnick, this book paints a vivid portrait of an elusive figure who forever changed the musical landscape as we know it.