Gunter Hotel Returns to Room 414 for 90th Anniversary of 1936 Blues Session

Steven Johnson, grandson of the late Mississippi bluesman, will record a new album in Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio. The session takes place in the exact location where Robert Johnson recorded in November 1936. Johnson will also use the hotel's Gunter Studio to complete the record, which the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation plans to release.

The Gunter Hotel announced a three-day celebration from November 12 to 14 to mark the 90th anniversary of the historic 1936 session. That recording session, performed by the 25-year-old Johnson, produced material that influenced later popular music artists, including Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin.

A live showcase anchors the Saturday program in the Crystal Ballroom. Pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, who recently won his first Grammy for the album Preacher Kids, will headline the event. He will perform alongside Texas blues-rock guitarist Ally Venable and the Steve L. Johnson Band. Marco Cervantes, a University of Texas at San Antonio professor who performs under the name Mexstep, will serve as emcee. Tickets for the event start at $59.

Programming extends throughout the hotel over the three-day weekend. On Thursday, November 12, producer Michael Ramos leads tours of the Gunter Studio from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A Robert Johnson Revue featuring Nicky Diamonds performs in the Studio Lounge from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., followed by the Aaron Stephens Trio at Bar 414 from 9 p.m. to midnight. On Friday, November 13, a conversation with the Robert Johnson Family, moderated by Hector Saldaña, takes place in the Gunter Studio Lounge from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tomar & The FCs and Jordan Matthew Young perform in the Crystal Ballroom from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., while Nick Brown & The Blues Cruise play at Bar 414 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Eve Monsees Trio closes the weekend at Bar 414 on Saturday 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 current operations by opening its recording studio to emerging artists and maintaining a record lending library in the lobby. A music council currently advises the hotel, including Adrian Quesada, co-founder of Black Pumas; Will and Noel Bridges of Antone's Nightclub; and Garrett T. Capps. Every guest room includes a turntable and a copy of the album King of the Delta Blues Singers.

Jiwon Choi, owner of the Gunter Hotel, stated in a release that the property is honored to bring talented people together to celebrate its history and Robert Johnson's legacy. Choi added that the hotel aims to honor those who came before while encouraging future generations of artists who may stay at the property.