Grandson records new album in Gunter Hotel room where Robert Johnson once played

Steven Johnson plans to record a new album in Room 414 of San Antonio's Gunter Hotel this month. The grandson of blues legend Robert Johnson will work in the same space where his grandfather recorded in 1936. This effort anchors a three-day tribute running from November 12 to 14.

The 1936 session took place when Johnson was a 25-year-old Mississippi guitarist. He checked into the hotel that November to capture material that later influenced Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. The Robert Johnson Blues Foundation is set to release the new album produced during this weekend.

Johnson will also use the Gunter Studio for parts of the recording process. The recording work leads into a major showcase in the Crystal Ballroom on Saturday. Pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph will perform there. He recently won his first Grammy for the album Preacher Kids. Texas blues-rock guitarist Ally Venable and the Steve L. Johnson Band will join him on stage.

Marco Cervantes, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio who performs as Mexstep, will serve as emcee for the event. Tickets for the ballroom showcase start at $59.

Programming extends across the hotel all weekend. On Thursday, producer Michael Ramos will lead tours of the Gunter Studio from 5 to 7 p.m. A Robert Johnson Revue featuring Nicky Diamonds will play in the Studio Lounge from 7 to 9 p.m. The Aaron Stephens Trio will perform at Bar 414 from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Friday activities include a conversation with the Robert Johnson Family moderated by Hector Saldaña. This session is scheduled for 6 to 7 p.m. in the Gunter Studio Lounge. Tomar & The FCs and Jordan Matthew Young will perform in the Crystal Ballroom from 8 to 10 p.m. Nick Brown & The Blues Cruise will take the stage at Bar 414 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The Gunter Hotel reopened in 2025 following a $70 million renovation. The property now opens its recording studio to emerging artists and maintains a record lending library in the lobby. Every guest room includes a turntable and a copy of King of the Delta Blues Singers. Hotel owner Jiwon Choi stated that the goal is to celebrate past artists and encourage future generations.