Memphis Minnie
In the 1930s and '40s Memphis Minnie's singing, songwriting, spirited demeanor, and superlative guitar playing propelled her to the upper echelons of a blues field then dominated by male guitarists and pianists. On her own [...]
Shake, Rattle and Roll — Big Joe Turner (Atlantic, 1954)
Big Joe Turner is best described as one of the critical link between R&B, Blues and Rock N Roll. The Kansas City musician was a vital musical factor for almost five decades and stands as [...]
Etta James
At the age of five Etta James was singing gospel in her church choir and by her early teens she was drawn into the sounds of R&B. Her first hit was 'The Wallflower' for the [...]
Junior Parker
Junior Parker was one of the four most popular blues recording artists of the 1950s and '60s, in a league with B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, and Little Milton, based on the number of records [...]
Slim Harpo
Of the many legendary “swamp blues” artists to emerge from the bayou country of south Louisiana, none was more distinctive than Slim Harpo, who was also by far the most popular and influential outside the [...]
Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland
Asked to name the greatest blues singer of all time, many blues artists have chosen and will continue to choose Bobby “Blue” Bland - as have untold numbers of listeners throughout his incredible career. Bland's [...]
Blind Willie McTell
Blind Willie McTell was a master bluesman whose recorded legacy has earned him an exalted ranking among the greatest of all time in his field but, as was the case with any number of others, [...]
The Country Blues, by Samuel Charters
New York: Rinehart and Co., Inc., 1959. Reprinted with new introduction by the author: New York: Da Capo Press, 1975. The publication of The Country Blues by Sam Charters in 1959 was a major landmark [...]
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker rolled several successful blues careers into one lifetime and went out on top, the reigning “King of the Boogie” and earthy elder of rock 'n' roll. His “Boogie Chillen,” featuring only Hooker [...]
John & Alan Lomax
John Lomax, Sr., one of America's most important folklorists, documented a variety of musical genres in his extensive studies, recording more than 10,000 songs for the Library of Congress. He was the man who brought [...]