Room 414 Returns: Grandson of Robert Johnson to Record New Album

Steven Johnson will return to Gunter Hotel Room 414 in San Antonio to record a new album. The session marks the 90th anniversary of the 1936 recording that launched the blues career of his grandfather, Robert Johnson. Johnson checked into the hotel in November 1936 at age 25 and laid down tracks that later influenced Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin.

The Robert Johnson Blues Foundation is set to release the new album. Johnson will use the hotel’s Gunter Studio to cut the tracks. The recording work precedes a Saturday showcase in the Crystal Ballroom featuring Pedal Steel guitarist Robert Randolph, who recently won his first Grammy for Preacher Kids. Texas blues-rock guitarist Ally Venable and the Steve L. Johnson Band will also perform. Marco Cervantes, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio who performs as Mexstep, will emcee the event. Tickets begin at $59.

The three-day festival runs from November 12 to 14. Programming extends beyond the main stage to various hotel venues. On Thursday, November 12, producer Michael Ramos leads tours of the Gunter Studio from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. A Robert Johnson Revue featuring Nicky Diamonds plays in the Studio Lounge from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Aaron Stephens Trio performs at Bar 414 from 9:00 p.m. to midnight.

Friday, November 13, begins with a conversation involving the Robert Johnson family, moderated by Hector Saldaña, in the Gunter Studio Lounge from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tomar & The FCs and Jordan Matthew Young perform in the Crystal Ballroom from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Nick Brown & The Blues Cruise take the stage at Bar 414 from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

The Saturday, November 14, ballroom showcase runs from 7:00 to 10:15 p.m. The Eve Monsees Trio follows at Bar 414 from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The Gunter Hotel reopened in 2025 after a $70 million renovation. The property has integrated its musical heritage into operations by opening its recording studio to emerging artists and maintaining a record lending library in the lobby.

The hotel has formed a music council that includes Adrian Quesada, co-founder of Black Pumas, and Will and Noel Bridges of Antone’s Nightclub. Garrett T. Capps also serves on the council. Every guest room contains a turntable and a copy of King of the Delta Blues Singers. Hotel owner Jiwon Choi said the hotel is honored to bring talented people together to celebrate its history. Choi stated that the mission is to celebrate those who came before and encourage future generations of artists.