Gunter Hotel Hosts Three-Day Blues Session Commemorating 1936 Recording

Steven Johnson will record a new album in Room 414 of the San Antonio Gunter Hotel in November. The grandson of blues legend Robert Johnson will use the same space where his grandfather recorded in 1936. The Gunter Hotel has scheduled a three-day celebration from November 12 to 14 to mark the 90th anniversary of that session.

Robert Johnson, a 25-year-old guitarist from Mississippi, checked into the hotel in November 1936. The material he recorded there influenced popular music for decades. Artists including Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin cited the session as a source of inspiration. The Robert Johnson Blues Foundation plans to release the upcoming album that Johnson is cutting in the hotel's Gunter Studio.

The weekend features a lineup of musicians and historians. Robert Randolph, who recently won a Grammy for his work with Preacher Kids, will perform in the Crystal Ballroom on Saturday. He will share the stage with Texas blues-rock guitarist Ally Venable and the Steve L. Johnson Band. Marco Cervantes, a University of Texas at San Antonio professor performing as Mexstep, will emcee the Saturday event. Tickets for the showcase begin at $59.

Additional programming fills the hotel venues throughout the weekend. On Thursday, producer Michael Ramos will lead tours of the Gunter Studio from 5 to 7 p.m. The Robert Johnson Revue featuring Nicky Diamonds will play in the Studio Lounge from 7 to 9 p.m. The Aaron Stephens Trio will perform in Bar 414 from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Friday events include a conversation with the Robert Johnson Family in the Gunter Studio Lounge from 6 to 7 p.m. Hector Saldaña will moderate the discussion. Tomar & The FCs and Jordan Matthew Young will play in the Crystal Ballroom from 8 to 10 p.m. Nick Brown & The Blues Cruise will perform in Bar 414 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The Gunter Hotel reopened in 2025 following a $70 million renovation. The property now includes a recording studio open to emerging artists and a record lending library in the lobby. Every guest room contains a turntable and a copy of King of the Delta Blues Singers. A music council includes Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas, Will and Noel Bridges of Antone's Nightclub, and Garrett T. Capps.

Hotel owner Jiwon Choi stated in a release that the hotel is honored to bring talented people together to celebrate its history and Robert Johnson's legacy. Choi added that the mission is to celebrate those who came before and encourage future generations of artists who may come through the doors.