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Please note: This is not a comprehensive listing of the men and women who have contributed to the development of blues music. If you would like to recommend another blues musician whom you feel should be included, please send this information in a similar format via email to [email protected].

© 2003 International House of Blues Foundation, Inc. Limited reproduction for educational use only is permitted.

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Luther Allison (1939-1997) Born: Widener, Arkansas Style: Modern electric blues, guitar Songs: Cherry Red Wine; Move From The Hood Luther Allison was a second-generation guitarist from Chicago. In the 1990s, he returned from living in Europe to inject a new urgency into the blues.

Albert Ammons (1907-1949) Born: Chicago, Illinois Style: Boogie-woogie and swing piano Songs: Boogie Woogie Stomp Albert Ammons was one of the three innovators of the boogie-woogie piano craze that swept through the US in the late 1930s.

Kokomo Arnold (James Arnold) (1901-1968) Born: Lovejoy’s Station, Georgia Style: Acoustic bottleneck blues guitar Songs: Kokomo’s Blues Kokomo Arnold is best known for his song “Kokomo’s Blues,” which was the model for Robert Johnson’s famous “Sweet Home Chicago.”

Lavern Baker (Delores Williams) (1929-1997) Born: Chicago, Illinois Style: R&B Vocalist Songs: Jim Dandy; See See Rider; I Cried A Tear Along with Atlantic label-mate Ruth Brown, Lavern was one of the most important of the 50s R&B chanteuses. She was a featured

performer in the 50s movies: “Rock, Rock, Rock” and “Mr. Rock and Roll.” Lavern spent 22 years playing and running a non-commissioned officers club in the Philippines before returning triumphantly to the U.S. in 1988. In her later years, she replaced Ruth Brown on Broadway in “Black & Blue” and appeared on the soundtrack to the film “Dick Tracy”.

Chuck Berry (Charles Berry) (1926-present) Born: St. Louis, Missouri Style: Guitar, electric blues and rock Songs: Roll Over Beethoven; Johnny B. Goode; Sweet Little Sixteen When Chuck Berry blended his love of R&B, blues, and country music together in the 1950s, modern rock and roll was born. Almost every beginner guitarist has copied Berry’s guitar licks. Berry’s lyrics, which spoke to a growing teenage market, have become rock and roll standards.

Big Maceo Merriweather (1905-1953) Born: Atlanta, Georgia Style: Chicago blues piano Songs: Worried Life Blues Big Maceo’s work in Chicago during the 1930s and 40s helped pave the way for the great Chicago blues pianists of the 1950s.

Bobby “Blue” Bland (Robert Calvin Bland) (1930-present) Born: Rosemark, Tennessee Style: Soul and R&B vocalist Songs: Stormy Monday Blues; Members Only; I Pity The Fool

International House of Blues Foundation (IHOBF) Blues Men and Women Listing

Blues Men and Women Listing Since his first appearance on Beale Street in the late 1940s, Bobby “Blue” Bland has used his expressive voice to become one of the most popular soul/blues singers in the world.

Blind Blake (Arthur Phelps) (189?-1933) Born: Jacksonville, Florida Style: Acoustic Piedmont blues guitar Songs: Police Dog Blues; Diddie-Wa-Diddie In the early 1930s, Blake was the king of the blues guitar in Chicago. His intricate fingerpicking has been influential for guitarists from Josh White to Ry Cooder.

Rory Block (1949-present) Born: New York, New York Style: Acoustic guitar Songs: Lovin’ Whiskey; Big Road Blues Rory Block is the foremost interpreter of pre-war country blues of Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Tommy Johnson, and Willie Brown. She has also developed into a gifted modern songwriter.

Michael Bloomfield (1943-1981) Born: Chicago, Illinois Style: Electric blues guitar Songs: East-West At the age of 14, Bloomfield began to visit the blues clubs in the South side of Chicago and watch the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and others. He was an original member of the Butterfield Blues Band and one of the founders of The Electric Flag.

Big Bill Broonzy (William Broonzy) (1893-1958) Born: Scott, Mississippi Style: Country blues guitar and acoustic Chicago blues

Songs: Key To The Highway; Black, White, Brown; When Do I Get To Be Called A Man The hundreds of titles Broonzy recorded throughout his long career are blues classics. In the 1950s, Broonzy toured America and Europe becoming one of the first international blues stars.

Charles Brown (1922-1999) Born: Texas City, Texas Style: West Coast R&B styled piano and vocals Songs: Black Night; Merry Christmas Baby; Drifting Blues Since his earliest recordings in the 1940s with the Three Blazers, Charles Brown has been a tremendously influential musician. His easy style popularized a new blues that combined West Coast jazz with the blues for post-war audiences.

Clarence Gatemouth Brown (1924-2005) Born: Vinton, Louisiana Style: Texas blues, guitar, violin and harmonica Songs: Okie Dokie Stomp; Just Before Dawn Though he is thought of as a blues man first, Gatemouth Brown expertly plays every form of American music from swinging jazz to deep blues to a high-flying country fiddle hoedown.

Ruth Brown (1928-2006) Born: Portsmouth, Virginia Style: R&B vocalist Songs: So Long; 5-10-15 Hours; Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean


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When Ruth Brown began singing for Atlantic Records in 1949, she became the foundation of that label and the R&B genre. The woman with the teardrop in her voice became the biggest female name in R&B during the 1950s. In her later career, she has been a star on Broadway (“Black And Blue”) a movie actress (“Hairspray”) and a co-star in the TV sitcom “Hello, Larry.”

Blues Men and Women Listing

Willie Brown (1900-1952) Born: Clarksdale, Mississippi Style: Acoustic pre-war country blues Songs: Future Blues; Moon Going Down Willie Brown was among the blues musicians who grew up in the Mississippi Delta. Brown accompanied the likes of Patton, House and Robert Johnson. In fact, Johnson calls out his name at the end of “Cross Road Blues.”

Roy Buchanan (1939-1988) Born: Ozark, Alabama Style: Electric Guitar, Blues & more Songs: The Messiah Will Come Again; When A Guitar Plays The Blues; Sweet Dreams Though not exclusively a blues guitarist, Roy played a lot of blues. As a teenager, Roy ran away from home to Los Angeles where he hung out with Johnny Otis and his stable of guitarists: Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Pete “Guitar” Lewis and future James Brown guitarist, Jimmy Nolen. Virtually an unknown until the 1971 PBS-TV special, “The Best Unknown Guitarist In The World”, it was reputed that Roy was asked to join both the Rolling Stones and Derek and the Dominos. Roy had recorded over a dozen records prior to his death in 1988.

R.L. Burnside (1926-2005) Born: Oxford, Mississippi Style: Electric Delta blues guitar Songs: Long Haired Doney No man epitomizes modern Mississippi blues better then R.L. Burnside. He’s played all his life in the hill country of Mississippi and today he carries his heavily rhythmic Delta juke joint music to younger audiences around the world.

Paul Butterfield (1942-1987) Born: Chicago, Illinois Style: Harmonica and vocals Songs: Born In Chicago

Butterfield started out in the blues clubs on the south side of Chicago learning from Chicago’s first generation of electric blues men. In 1963, he formed the Butterfield Blues Band.

Leroy Carr (1905-1935) Born: Nashville, Tennessee Style: Pre-war piano blues Songs: How Long Blues; When The Sun Goes Down Leroy Carr was one of the major blues stars of his day. He teamed with guitarist Scrapper Blackwell to record almost 200 records before his early death. His two most famous songs (listed above) are the basis of many Delta recordings of the 1930s.

John Cephas and Phil Wiggins Born: Washington, DC Style: Modern acoustic Piedmont blues duo Songs: Stagger Lee Following in the traditions of Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, Cephas and Wiggins are equally adept playing either traditional standards or their own modern compositions.

Ray Charles (Robinson) (1930-2004) Born: Albany, Georgia Style: Piano, R&B, soul, urban blues Songs: I Got A Woman; Crying Time; What’d I Say Since the early 1950s, Ray Charles has been considered the Father of Soul. Charles’ style includes gospel styled vocals mixed with the music of contemporary jazz and blues.

Clifton Chenier (1925-1987) Born: Opelousas, Louisiana Style: Zydeco, accordion, vocals Songs: My Soul; Louisiana Stomp


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Blues Men and Women Listing Chenier was one of the first to popularize zydeco, the regional blues music of Louisiana. By combining a red-hot accordion with traditional blues, Chenier helped create the zydeco sound that most of the world associates with New Orleans.

Eric Clapton (1945-present) Born: Ripley, England Style: Modern blues electric guitar Songs: Crossroads; Riding With The King; Tears In Heaven Since his earliest days with John Mayall, Clapton has been a devoted interpreter of American blues. His days with Cream introduced the music of Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf to a legion of American rock fans. His recordings with B.B. King, Buddy Guy and the late Jimmy Rogers, have helped keep the blues alive with younger audiences.

Albert Collins (1932-1993) Born: Leona, Texas Style: Texas, Modern blues electric guitar Songs: Frosty; Master Card; Dyin’ Flu Collins’ nicknames, the Iceman and the Master of the Telecaster, came from the icy tones he produced from his trademark Telecaster guitar. Collins was noted for using a 200-foot chord and walking through clubs, out front doors and onto city streets while playing his blues.

Ry Cooder (1947-present) Born: Los Angeles, California Style: Guitar, modern electric and modern acoustic blues guitar Songs: Which Came First; Across The Borderline Since his days in the 1960s with Taj Mahal’s Rising Sons band, Cooder has been one of America’s foremost guitarists. He works in recording sessions, as a soundtrack composer, and also as a solo artist. In the 1990s Cooder won a Grammy for a duet album with African

guitarist Ali Farka Toure and was instrumental in recording the Buena Vista Social Club.

Johnny Copeland (1937-1997) Born: Haynesville, Louisiana Style: Texas modern electric guitar Songs: Rock ‘n’ Roll Lilly; Reap What You Sow Copeland embodies the life of the modern blues man. He began playing and recording in Houston in the 1950s, relocated to New York City in the 1970s and finally gained national acclaim when he recorded Showdown in 1985. He is the father of Shemekia Copeland. Shemekia Copeland (1979-present) Born: Harlem, New York Style: Singer Songs: Turn The Heat Up; Ghetto Child; It’s 2 AM As the daughter of Johnny Copeland, Shemekia began performing at the age of 8. By 17, she was signed to the nation’s largest blues label and by 21, she had recorded 2 albums. Her music reaches older fans of blues, soul, and R&B, and also attracts younger fans to the music.

Elizabeth Cotten (1895-1987) Born: Chapel Hill, NC Style: Piedmont-style acoustic fingerpicked guitar Songs: Freight Train Cotton has an easy and melodic fingerpicking style that made her one of the most popular discoveries in the folk blues boom of the 1960s. Her song, “Freight Train,” written when she was 12, was popularized by that decade’s folk singers. She continued to play until her death in 1987.


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Blues Men and Women Listing James Cotton (1935-present) Born: Tunica, Mississippi Style: Harmonica, electric Chicago blues Songs: Cotton Crop Blues; Rocket 88 James Cotton was only a child when he began learning the harmonica. In the 1950s he recorded for Sun Records, moved to Chicago and began his stint as Muddy Waters’ harp player. In the 1970s he teamed with Matt Murphy to become one of the inspirations for the Blues Brothers.

Ida Cox (1896-1967) Born: Toccoa, Georgia Style: Classic blues singer Songs: Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues Ida Cox was one of the most important classic singers of the 1920s. She worked vaudeville & tent shows before recording regularly until the 1930’s.

Robert Cray (1953-present) Born: Columbus, Georgia Style: Guitar, contemporary electric blues Songs: Smoking Gun; The Forecast Calls For Pain More than anything else, Robert Cray’s 1986 album “Strong Persuader” was responsible for the blues revival of that decade. His songs are three-minute short stories about relationship problems in the modern world set to blues styled music.

Pee Wee Crayton (Connie Crayton) (1914-1985) Born: Rockdale, Texas Style: Guitar, Texas and West Coast blues Songs: Texas Hop; Blues After Hours Like T-Bone Walker, Crayton moved from Texas to the Los Angeles area and mixed the blues guitar with West coast jazz sensibilities.

Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup (1905-1974) Born: Forest, Mississippi Style: Guitar, electric Delta blues Songs: That’s All Right Guitarist Crudup may be best known as the writer of Elvis Presley’s first hit, “That’s All Right Mama”. He also wrote many other popular tunes and continued to perform until his death.

Guy Davis (1952-Present) Born: New York, New York Style: Guitar, Acoustic blues Songs: Never Met No Woman Treats Me Like You Do; You Don’t Know My Mind Guy Davis was born in New York City to famous actors & activists, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. Although raised in the most urban area in the world, Guy was fascinated with stories of the rural South. Seeing a live performance of Buddy Guy at the age of 13 helped convince Davis to pursue an interest in playing blues. His acting career has taken him to TV and movies as well as the stage where he combined his interests by playing Robert Johnson in “Robert Johnson: Trick The Devil” as well as performing in Zora Neale Hurston’s “Mulebone” on Broadway. His music career blossomed from his 1978 debut record “Dreams About Life”. He also has won a Handy Award for Keeping The Blues Alive.

Reverend Gary Davis (1896-1972) Born: Laurens, South Carolina Style: Guitar, Piedmont blues and gospel Songs: Sampson and Delilah; Twelve Gates to the City Davis, who was blind from the time of his birth, was a popular recording artist of the Piedmont style in the 1920s and 35 years later, when he was rediscovered, he was an inspiration to the likes of Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, and Ry Cooder, who all studied with Davis in his Harlem apartment.


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Blues Men and Women Listing Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel) (1928-2008) Born: McComb, Mississippi Style: Guitar, electric R&B and rock and roll Songs: I’m A Man; Bo Diddley When Bo Diddley recorded “Bo Diddley” and “I’m A Man” for Chess Records in the mid-1950s, he introduced a futuristic electric guitar sound to the music world. Young guitarists around the world took that sound and created modern rock and roll music.

Willie Dixon (1915-1992) Born: Vicksburg, Mississippi Style: Bass, electric Chicago blues Songs: Wang Dang Doodle; Spoonful; Back Door Man; Bring It On Home; Hoochie Coochie Man Dixon’s songs exemplified the Chicago blues of the 1950s. His songs were craved by the Chess Studios and later recorded by rock bands like Led Zeppelin, the Doors and Cream. Few blues songwriters can match the body of work Dixon created.

Dr. John (Mac Rebbenack) (1940-present) Born: New Orleans, Louisiana Style: Piano, guitar, New Orleans blues and R&B Songs: I Walk On Gilded Splinters; Iko-Iko; Right Place, Wrong Time Dr. John reached the modern audience when he effectively combined his love of blues and New Orleans R&B with his rocking, boogie piano style.

Fats Domino (Antoine Domino) (1928-present) Born: New Orleans, Louisiana Style: Piano, New Orleans R&B and blues Songs: Blueberry Hill; Walking To New Orleans Fats Domino was one of the originators of the popular New Orleans style of R&B developed in the early 1950s.

Thomas A. Dorsey (1899-1993) Born: Villa Rica, Georgia Style: Piano and guitar, acoustic blues Songs: It’s Tight Like That; Precious Lord Thomas Dorsey is the acknowledged Father of Gospel music. His compositions like “Precious Lord” and “Peace in the Valley” are two standards of the Gospel canon. Before his Gospel success, he paired with Tampa Red as Georgia Tom during the hokum craze of the 1920s.

Champion Jack Dupree (1910-1992) Born: New Orleans, Louisiana Style: Piano blues Songs: Junker’s Blues; Walking The Blues His barrelhouse piano career began in New Orleans, but he moved to Chicago in the 1930s and finally to Europe in 1959. In addition to being a musician, Dupree was also a boxer. He was a prisoner of war during World War II.

David Honeyboy Edwards (1915-present) Born: Shaw, Mississippi Style: Acoustic guitar, country blues Songs: West Helena Blues; 61 Highway; Catfish Blues Honeyboy Edwards is one of the links between the Delta blues of the 1930s and the present. Whatever he plays is filtered through a first generation approach. His near perfect memory allows him to tell stories about the musicians he has played with over the years and also to play their music exactly as he heard them play it.

Sleepy John Estes (1899-1977) Born: Brownsville, Tennessee Style: Guitar, pre-war country blues Songs: Drop Down Mama; Divin’ Duck Blues


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Blues Men and Women Listing It was probably Estes work as a gang leader on a railroad maintenance crew that sharpened his vocal improvisations. Estes joined with Hammie Nixon and Yank Rachell to play house parties in the Brownsville area in the 1920s. The same trio joined forces 40 years later during the blues revival of the 1960s.

Blind Boy Fuller (Fulton Allen) (1908-1941) Born: Wadesboro, North Carolina Style: Guitar, pre-war Piedmont country blues Songs: Rag, Mama, Rag; Step It Up And Go Fuller only recorded over a six-year period, yet he is one of the most influential Piedmont style blues guitarists. Though he recorded many sides, most of his musical life was as a street performer. Like Robert Johnson of the same period, Blind Boy Fuller was a great synthesizer of styles.

Lowell Fulson (1921-1999) Born: Tulsa, Oklahoma Style; Guitar, West coast electric blues Songs: Reconsider Baby; Tramp Coming to the West Coast from Texas, Lowell Fulson was a singer/songwriter & guitarist who was able to assimilate a broad range of techniques into the music he played. With songs like “Reconsider Baby” & “Tramp” in the blues canon, Fulson made a large contribution to modern blues.

Guitar Slim (Eddie Jones) (1926-1959) Born: Greenwood, Mississippi Style: Electric guitar, New Orleans blues Songs: The Things That I Used To Do; Something To Remember You By; Sufferin’ Mind Many contemporary blues guitarists have been influenced by the antics of Guitar Slim. He would walk the saloons with 350 feet of cord playing a distorted, piercing guitar and singing in a gospel style voice. Many of his songs from the 1950s are essential blues standards.

Buddy Guy (George Guy) (1936-present) Born: Shreveport, Louisiana Style: Guitar, electric modern Chicago blues Songs: My Time After Awhile; Damn Right I Got The Blues; The First Time I Met The Blues Eric Clapton has called Guy, “The greatest blues guitar player in the world.” 1960s guitar players ranging from Clapton to Hendrix often imitated the licks that Guy played as a session man with Muddy Waters in the early 1960s. When Buddy Guy joined forces with Junior Wells, they brought the Chicago blues to the world.

John Hammond (1942-present) Born: New York, New York Style: Guitar, acoustic pre-war country blues Songs: Pony Blues; Sugar Mama; My Daddy Was a Jockey John Hammond was one of the first young blues enthusiasts to reinterpret the classic pre-war country blues. His combination of powerful guitar work, dead-on rack harmonica and passionate vocals harkens back to the days of juke joints and Saturday night house parties in the Mississippi Delta.

W.C. Handy (William Christopher Handy) (1873-1958) Born: Muscle Shoals, Alabama Style: Bandleader, early American blues Songs: St. Louis Blues; Memphis blues W.C. Handy has been deemed “Father of the Blues.” He became the first person to publish a song with “blues” in the title when he published “Memphis Blues” in 1912. W.C. Handy played a key role in popularizing the blues.

Corey Harris (1969-Present) Born: Denver, Colorado Style: Guitar, acoustic Delta blues


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Songs: Fish Ain’t Bitin’; Between Midnight And Day

Blues Men and Women Listing Corey’s interest in music goes back to the tender age of 3 when he received a toy guitar. His mother played him a Lightnin’ Hopkins record around the age of 12, at which time he also received his first real guitar. Studying anthropology in college, Corey moved to Cameroon and learned the local patois there as well as an appreciation of the indigenous ju ju music. Upon returning to the states to teach in Louisiana, Corey took to street playing in New Orleans and strengthened his performance skills. In 1995 he recorded the first of several cds he has available.

Alvin “Youngblood” Hart (1963-Present) Born: Oakland, California Style: Acoustic country blues, Electric blues Songs; Big Mama’s Door, Gallows Pole “Youngblood” started out his career as an acoustic blues performer with traditional roots. Inspired to play by his Mississippi based grandfather, he now has incorporated electric guitar stylings into his arsenal and is a talent to be watched for in the future.

Son House (Eddie House) (1902(?)-1988) Born: Riverton, Mississippi Style: Guitar, Acoustic pre-war country blues Songs: Death Letter Blues; Preachin’ The Blues Along with his musical partners Charley Patton and Willie Brown, Son House was a major innovator. In 1942, House essentially gave up playing the blues and moved from the Delta to Rochester, New York. In 1964, a group of young blues fans rediscovered House in Rochester and coaxed him out of retirement and into a second blues career. He was the essence of the blues.

Z.Z. Hill (Arzell Hill) (1935-1984) Born: Naples, Texas Style: Vocals, soul blues Songs: Down Home Blues; You Were Wrong: I Found Love

With his soul blues recordings from the early 1980s, Hill was one of the major reasons for the blues revival of that decade. His showmanship was well known throughout the Southern chitlin circuit, a string of black-owned nightclubs.

Jimi Hendrix (James Marshall Hendricks) (1942-1970) Born: Seattle, Washington Style: Guitar, electric blues Songs: Purple Haze; Catfish Blues; Red House; Voodoo Chile No other guitarist did more to awaken the blues in America during the musical revolution of the late 1960s then Hendrix. He rocketed blues from the muddy Mississippi into outer space. He took the showmanship he’d learned on the chitlin circuit (a string of black-owned nightclubs in the South) and thrilled young audiences around the world. Through it all, he rarely lost sight of his blues roots.

Wynonie Harris (1915-1969) Born: Omaha, Nebraska Style: Jump blues vocals Songs: Good Rockin’ Tonight, Who Threw The Whiskey In the Well Many feel that Harris’ R&B recording of “Good Rockin’ Tonight” in 1948 laid the foundation for the movement into rock and roll five years later.

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (Jalacy Hawkins) (1929-2000) Born: Cleveland, Ohio Style: Piano, R&B jump blues Songs: I Put A Spell On You; I Hear Voices If one song can set a singer for life, “I Put A Spell On You” did just that for Hawkins. Hawkins used props like a coffin and flaming skulls in his act. He made several movie appearances in the movies “American Hot Wax” and “Mystery Train.”


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Blues Men and Women Listing Billie Holiday (1915-1959) Born: Baltimore, Maryland Style: Vocals, classic blues ballads Songs: Strange Fruit; God Bless The Child; Fine and Mellow Billie Holiday began singing in the 1930s, and she brought a uniquely original style of infusing words with emotional intensity. Though she worked mainly with jazz bands, she took the classic vocals of the women before her and reworked their approaches to become a model for many of the women blues singers to follow.

John Lee Hooker (1920-2001) Born: Clarksdale, Mississippi Style: Guitar, electric Delta blues Songs: Boogie Chillen; Sally Mae; I’m In The Mood; Boom Boom Throughout the span of his lengthy career, John Lee Hooker remained a true blues original. His endless boogie rose from the fields of the Delta to the streets of Detroit, where he perfected his one chord, free form brand of the blues. John Lee remained an active performer until his death in 2001.

Lightnin’ Hopkins (Sam Hopkins) (1912-1982) Born: Centerville, Texas Style: Guitar, acoustic Texas blues Songs: Mojo Hand; Tim Moore’s Farm Hopkins career stretched from the 1920s until his death. A true blues poet, Hopkins wrote songs that reflected his everyday life experiences. Hopkins also possessed the wonderful ability to improvise lyrics to fit any performance or situation.

Big Walter Horton (1917-1981) Born: Horn Lake, Mississippi Style: Harmonica, electric Chicago blues Songs: Easy; Have A Good Time; I Need My Baby

Little Walter may have been the force behind electrifying the harmonica, but Big Walter is the master of tone on that harmonica. Horton backed musicians both in the studio and on stage. Horton remains one of the prime examples of Chicago blues harmonica.

Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Burnett) (1910-1976) Born: West Point, Mississippi Style: Guitar, harmonica, vocals, electric Chicago blues Songs: Red Rooster; Evil; Smokestack Lightning Howlin’ Wolf, born Chester Burnett, learned his blues at Dockery’s from Charley Patton. He recorded in Memphis for Sam Phillips’ Sun Records before moving to Chicago and recording for Chess Records. Wolf’s gruff vocal style and unpredictable shows became a major influence on the Rolling Stones. His blues is as close to the essence as you can get. Sam Phillips once said, “Howlin’ Wolf is the place where the soul of man never dies.”

Alberta Hunter (1895-1984) Born: Memphis, Tennessee Style: Vocals, classic female blues Songs: Down Hearted Blues Alberta Hunter began her career in 1912. She wrote “Down Hearted Blues” in 1921 and starred in Show Boat with Paul Robeson in 1929. In 1956 she retired from performing and 4 years later, at the age of 65, she became a nurse. Then in 1977, she made a comeback, singing until her death.

Mississippi John Hurt (1893-1966) Born: Teoc, Mississippi Guitar, acoustic, pre-war country blues Songs: Avalon Blues; Stagger Lee


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Though he lived and played just to the East of the Mississippi Delta, John Hurt’s music has none of the heaviness associated with Delta blues from the 1930s. Instead, Hurt’s acoustic

Blues Men and Women Listing country blues have a technical clarity and syncopation that is easy to enjoy.

Elmore James (Elmore Brooks) (1918-1963) Born: Richland, Mississippi Style: Guitar, electric Chicago blues Songs: Dust My Broom; The Sky Is Crying Elmore James is considered by many to be the most influential post-war slide guitarist. His signature slide intro to his “Dust My Broom” has been redone over and over around the blues world. During the 1950s his band was as popular in Chicago clubs as the Muddy Waters band.

Etta James (Jamesetta Hawkins) (1938-present) Born: Los Angeles, California Style: Vocals, classic blues and R&B Songs: Dance With Me Henry; Tell Mama; I’d Rather Go Blind Drawing on the traditions of female singers from the 1920s, Etta James is a tour de force vocalist. She began her singing career in the 1950s working with Johnny Otis producing the hit record, “Dance With Me Henry”. Moving to Chess Records in the 1960s led to further success. Today, James continues to discover powerful ways to perform her material.

Skip James (Nehemiah James) (1902-1969) Born: Bentonia, Mississippi Guitar, piano, acoustic pre-war Delta blues Songs: Devil Got My Woman; I’m So Glad While Charley Patton embodied a unique guitar style in the Northern Delta, Skip James was the best-known guitarist of the Bentonia style. The style features different guitar tunings and a falsetto-vocal approach. Eric Clapton and Cream popularized Skip’s tune, “I’m So Glad” in the late 1960s.

Blind Lemon Jefferson (1897-1929) Born: Couchman, Texas Style: Guitar, acoustic pre-war country blues Songs: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean; Matchbox Blues Blind Lemon Jefferson was the first country blues success. Until he recorded in early 1926, most blues recordings were from women like Mamie Smith and Ma Rainey. Jefferson’s record sales revolutionized the “race” record industry and started record companies’ searching for talent throughout the South.

Blind Willie Johnson (1902(?)-1947) Born: Temple, Texas Style: Guitar, pre-war bottleneck, gospel blues Songs: God Don’t Never Change; Dark Was The Night, Cold Was the Ground At a time when country blues records were selling, Blind Willie Johnson was playing the bottleneck gospel blues. The combination of his effortless slide guitar work with his gruff, first generation vocals gave his religious messages a primal urgency.

Lonnie Johnson (1899-1970) Born: New Orleans, Louisiana Style: Guitar, pre-war country blues, jazz blues Songs: Tomorrow Night, Blue Ghost Blues Blues guitarists from B.B. King to Muddy Waters to Robert Lockwood list Lonnie Johnson as the guitar player to whom they most listened. Early on, Johnson defined the guitar’s use and showed blues guitarists how to expand techniques. Lonnie also recorded with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Seven in the late 20’s!

Robert Johnson (1911-1938) Born: Hazelhurst, Mississippi Style: Guitar, pre-war country blues Songs: Cross Road Blues; Love In Vain; Hellhound On My Trail


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Blues Men and Women Listing Johnson took what he learned from Charley Patton and Son House and recorded 29 seminal blues titles. No study of the music is complete without examining the music and lyrics of this Delta blues giant. When his music was recorded by the Rolling Stones and Cream, he reached the world audience. The timeless art he created is as relevant today as ever.

Tommy Johnson (1896-1956) Born: Terry, Mississippi Guitar, acoustic pre-war country blues Songs: Maggie Campbell; Canned Heat Tommy Johnson was important to the development of Delta blues in the 1920s. Though he was a more rhythmic guitarist than most Delta pickers, his expressive voice, which could move effortlessly from a growl to falsetto, set his music apart.

Janis Joplin (1943-1970) Born: Port Arthur, Texas Style: Vocals, blues rock Songs: Ball and Chain; Me And Bobby McGee Taking her inspiration from singers like Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith, Janis Joplin was considered by many to be the most powerful white blues-rock singer of the 1960s. Joplin took the blues from Texas and supercharged it with her unique vocal delivery.

Louis Jordan (1908-1975) Born: Brinkley, Arizona Style: Sax, swing, R&B, jump blues Songs: Choo Choo Ch’Boogie; Caldonia; Ain’t That Just Like A Woman In a time after WW II when the popularity of blues was on the decline, Louis Jordan pioneered a new, sophisticated sound, R&B. His stylish shows and infectious jive lyrics were the fore runners of rock and roll and even rap. His influences are evident in everybody from B.B. King to Robert Cray.

Keb’ Mo’ (Kevin Moore) (1951-present) Born: Los Angeles, California Style: Guitar, modern acoustic blues Songs: Just Like You; City Boy Keb’ Mo’ has been one of the reasons that blues in the 1990s stepped out of its shell and has reached new audiences. Mo’ combines a gentle acoustic guitar with original song writing about relationships in the contemporary world. In that way, he embodies the traditions of the rural bluesman.

Junior Kimbrough (1930-1998) Born: Hudsonville, Mississippi Style: Electric Delta blues guitar Songs: All Night Long; Sad Days, Lonely Nights; Do The Rump Junior learned to play by listening to records of Delta bluesmen. He cut his first record in 1968 and then basically didn’t record for the next 20 years, although he continually honed his chops in Delta juke joints. His hypnotic, modal style of playing became popular after his appearance in the 1990 film “Deep Blues”. Junior ran his own juke joint, Junior’s Place, in northern Mississippi until his death in 1998.

Albert King (Albert Nelson) (1923-1992) Born: Indianola, Mississippi Style: Guitar, modern electric blues Songs: Crosscut Saw; The Hunter; Pretty Woman Together with B.B. King, Albert King is one of the main influences on modern blues rock. By playing the guitar left-handed and upside down, King was able to pull the high strings down and achieve some of the most expressive string bends ever. He influenced Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan and is considered to be one of the most important blues guitarists in the world.


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Blues Men and Women Listing

B.B. King (Riley B. King) (1925-present) Born: Indianola, Mississippi Style: Guitar, modern electric blues Songs: The Thrill Is Gone; Three O’clock Blues; How Blue Can You Get; Sweet Little Angel; When Love Comes to Town Since 1950, B.B., the Beale Street Blues Boy, has been the King of the Blues. He is one of the most significant guitarists in the last half century. His trademark vibrato is instantly recognizable. At 75, his voice still has the power to drive audiences wild. For nearly 50 years, he and Lucille have played over 250 shows per year, some years as many as 300. He has won multitudes of awards from around the world and has set a new standard for the term “legendary.” The Thrill is never gone.

Freddie King (1934-1976) Born: Gilmer, Texas Guitar, electric Texas blues Songs: Hideaway; I’m Tore Down The last of the three kings of the blues, Freddie first made a name for himself by playing catchy instrumentals in more of a rock style than B.B. King. A dynamo guitarist with soulful vocals, King became another guitar hero to the British players like Clapton, and Texans like Stevie and Jimmie Vaughan.

Jonny Lang (1981-present) Born: Minneapolis, Minnesota Style: Guitar, contemporary electric blues Songs: Good Morning Little School Girl; Cherry Red Wine Since arriving onto the music scene in 1997, Lang has become the most recognizable teenage guitar phenom. The most impressive facet of his debut as a 16-year-old was the strength of his vocals.

Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter) (1888-1949) Born: Mooringsport, Louisiana Style: Guitar, country and folk blues Songs: Good Night Irene; Midnight Special; Bourgeois Blues Singing a combination of folksongs and traditional blues songs, Leadbelly was the first blues musician to achieve fame with white audiences. After his release from two prison terms, one in Texas and the other in Louisiana, Leadbelly moved to New York City and may have been the inspiration of the folk music boom in the 1950s.

Meade Lux Lewis (1905-1964) Born: Chicago, Illinois Style: Piano, boogie-woogie piano blues Songs: Honky Tonk Train Blues Along with Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, Lewis was one of the big three of boogie-woogie in the late 1930s.

Lightnin’ Slim (Otis Hicks) (1913-1974) Born: St. Louis, Missouri Style: guitar, electric Swamp Blues Songs: Rooster Blues; Hoodoo Blues Lightnin’ Slim (born Otis Hicks) was the major figure in Louisiana Swamp blues. Not only was he the first artist to hit it big in this style but also the first to be recorded. His influence can be felt in all of the swamp blues players like Slim Harpo and Lazy Lester, the harmonica player who played on both of their records. Slim’s world-weary vocals and down-home guitar personify the Swamp blues style. Despite his songs of bad luck and trouble, Slims luck changed for the better shortly before he died when he won six thousand dollars in the Michigan State lottery.


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Blues Men and Women Listing Mance Lipscomb (1895-1976) Born: Navasta, Texas Style: Guitar, acoustic Texas country blues Songs: Motherless Children; Sugar Babe Mance Lipscomb is best known as a songster cut from the tradition of Leadbelly. Thus he was able to play any songs his audience wanted from blues to popular standards to spirituals.

Little Milton (Campbell) (1934-2005) Born: Inverness, Mississippi Style: Guitar, modern soul blues, modern electric blues Songs: Grits Ain’t Groceries; The Blues Is Alright In the chitlin circuit, a string of black-owned nightclubs primarily located in the South, Little Milton is as popular as B.B. King. Since he first recorded in the 1950s for Sun Records, Milton has created a style and body of songs that make him one of the top blues talents.

Little Richard (Penniman) (1935-present) Born: Macon, Georgia Style: Piano, New Orleans R&B, rock and roll Songs: Tutti-Frutti ; Lucille Brought up in the gospel tradition, Little Richard learned to play piano in church. A highly charismatic performer and a true original, he dominated the pop and R&B charts in the mid-1950s with hits including “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” and “Lucille.” His pounding piano and shouting vocal style brought white teenagers into the world of R&B.

Little Esther (Phillips) (1935-1984) Born: Galveston, Texas Style: R&B Vocalist Songs: Double Crossin’ Blues; Release Me; What A Difference A Day Makes Esther Mae Jones, better known as Little Esther,

started recording as a teenager with the Johnny Otis Show. She had her first hit “Double Crossin’ Blues” in 1949. Esther’s versatile singing gave her a country hit, “Release Me,” in 1962 and a disco/R&B hit, “What A Difference A Day Makes,” in 1975.

Little Walter (Marion Walter Jacobs) (1930-1968) Born: Marksville, Louisiana Style: Harmonica, electric Chicago blues Songs: Juke; Blues With A Feeling; Mean Old World In the 1950s, Little Walter did for the harmonica what Hendrix did for the electric guitar. By using the technology of the day, he amplified the tiny dime store toy into what has become a staple for every modern blues band.

Robert Lockwood, Jr. (1915-2006) Born: Marvel, Arizona Style: Guitar, electric Delta blues, modern Chicago blues Songs: Little Boy Blue; Mean Black Spider As a child, Lockwood learned his guitar licks from his stepfather, Robert Johnson. But by using augmented and diminished chords, Lockwood took country blues and developed a jazzier approach to older musical forms of the blues.

Magic Sam (Sam Maghett) (1937-1969) Born: Greneda, Mississippi Style: Guitar, electric Chicago blues Songs: All Your Love; I Feel So Good Magic Sam was at the center of the second wave of Chicago blues men in the mid-1960s. Blues men like Magic Sam, Buddy Guy, and Otis Rush pioneered the sound of Chicago’s West side, a sound that featured an aggressive and loud electric guitar.


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Blues Men and Women Listing Taj Mahal (Henry St. Clair Fredericks) (1942-present) Born: New York, New York Style: Guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, blues from the world Songs: Fishin’ Blues; Leaving Trunk; Queen Bee Taj Mahal fuses the music of the African diaspora. Some albums of his are totally acoustic blues, some are R&B, some have elements of Caribbean and zydeco and some use African musicians. As one of the most studied ethnomusicologists, Taj is the modern griot of African-American music.

John Mayall (1933-present) Born: Cheshire, England Style: Guitar, harmonica, keyboards, electric British blues Songs: Jacksboro Highway; Parchman Farm Mayall was a key figure in the British blues movement. In the 1960s, he formed the Bluesbreakers band, which was the blues university for British blues men like Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor. Today, Mayall continues to play with the Bluesbreakers.

Percy Mayfield (1920-1984) Born: Minden, Louisiana Style: Piano, vocals, West coast R&B Songs: Please Send Me Someone To Love Percy Mayfield could be considered a poet laureate of modern blues. He was Ray Charles’ favorite writer in the 1950s. His emotionally touching ballad “Please Send Me Someone To Love” is one of the most recorded soul blues ballads ever.

Kansas Joe McCoy (1905-1950) Born: Jackson, Mississippi Style: Guitar, acoustic, pre-war country blues and Chicago blues

Songs: When The Levee Breaks; You Got To Move Although known to many primarily as Memphis Minnie’s husband, Joe McCoy made recordings under many names both with Minnie and others. Names like the Mississippi Mudder, the Georgia Pine Boy and the Harlem Hamfats to name a few. A fabulous singer/songwriter and guitarist, Joe wrote the hit song “Why Don’t You Do Right” recorded by both Lil Green and Peggy Lee.

Mississippi Fred McDowell (1904-1972) Born: Rossville, Mississippi Style: Guitar, acoustic country blues Songs: You Got To Move; Shake Em’ On Down; Amazing Grace; Good Morning Little School Girl Influenced by Charley Patton and Son House, Fred McDowell played gritty, first generation Delta blues. His rural approach made him a favorite at festivals and on college campuses during the 1960s. His music alternated between bottleneck blues and front porch gospel songs with his wife Annie.

Brownie McGhee (Walter McGhee) (1915-1996) Born: Knoxville, Tennessee Style: Guitar, acoustic country Piedmont blues Songs: Trouble In Mind Together with harmonica player Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee was a major part of the folk blues scene. They were among the first blues artists to tour Europe.

Blind Willie McTell (1901-1959) Born: Thomson, Georgia Style: Guitar, 12 string acoustic country blues Songs: Broke Down Engine; Statesboro Blues


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McTell’s career began in 1927 and featured his stellar fingerpicking coupled with one of the finest singing voices in the blues. He played ragtime, spirituals, and all other popular music

Blues Men and Women Listing of the day. Today, groups like Bob Dylan and the Allman Brothers have recorded his timeless songs.

Memphis Minnie (Lizzie Douglas) (1897-1973) Born: Algiers, Louisiana Style: Guitar, acoustic, pre-war country blues and Chicago blues Songs: Me And My Chauffeur; Bumble Bee Blues One of the most influential female blues artists, Memphis Minnie played guitar, sang and wrote songs, including such classic blues songs as “Bumble Bee Blues” and “Hoodoo Lady.” Born in Louisiana, Minnie’s roots were in the male dominated country blues. She had a long recording career and over time she began playing electric guitar and urban Chicago blues. Minnie paved the way for aspiring female guitar players.

Memphis Slim (Peter Chatman) (1915-1988) Born: Memphis, Tennessee Style: Piano blues Songs: Mother Earth: Everyday I Have The blues From the time of his early recording in 1939, Memphis Slim’s thundering work on the piano has been one of the major influences on blues piano players. He moved to Europe in 1962, where he toured regularly and enjoyed a recording career until his death in 1988.

Matt “Guitar” Murphy (1927-present) Born: Sunflower, Mississippi Style: Guitar, modern electric blues Songs: Matt’s Guitar Boogie; Cissy Strut Murphy was the guitar genius behind Memphis Slim’s piano in the 1950s. Since then, Murphy has worked with James Cotton. He was considered an integral part of the Blues Brothers movie and band.

Charlie Musselwhite (1944-present) Born: Kosciusko, Mississippi Style: Harmonica, modern Chicago electric blues Songs: Cristo Redentor Charlie Musselwhite learned his craft on the streets of Memphis in the 1950s and then as the white harmonica player on Chicago’s South side in the 1960s. He made a national debut in the 1960s with his album, “Stand Back, Here Comes Charlie Musselwhite’s Southside Band.”

Robert Nighthawk (Robert Lee McCoy) (1909-1967) Born: Helena, Arizona Style: Guitar, acoustic and electric Chicago blues Songs: Prowling Night Hawk; Maxwell Street Medley Nighthawk was one of the connections between acoustic country blues and electric urban blues. He played acoustic Delta blues in the 1930s, and then switched to a more electric style when he moved to Chicago. Nighthawk was a big influence on Muddy Waters when Muddy first arrived in Chicago.

Johnny Otis (John Veliotes) (1921-present) Born: Vallejo, California Style: Piano, drums, vocals, West coast bandleader Songs: The Johnny Otis Savoy Sessions As a bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, and TV variety show host, Otis did much to set R&B on a course to popularity. His Los Angeles shows were famous for spotlighting vocal talents like Little Esther Phillips, Big Mama Thornton, and others.

Charley Patton (1887-1934) Born: Edwards, Mississippi Style: Guitar, acoustic pre-war country blues


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Songs: Pony Blues; High Water Risin’; Bo Weevil Blues; Pea Vine Blues; Spoonful Blues

Blues Men and Women Listing Charley Patton was one of the first Mississippi Delta guitarists to play and record the blues. He became one of the first musical stars of the Mississippi Delta. Patton created a body of original music that has endured throughout the years. Because of his influence on nearly every Delta blues man, Patton may be one of the most important musicians of the 20th century.

Pinetop Perkins (Joe Willie Perkins) (1913-present) Born: Belzoni, Mississippi Style: Piano, modern piano blues Songs: Pinetop’s Boogie; How Long Blues; Caldonia Though he began as a guitarist, it was when he switched to piano in the 1940s that Perkins began to forge his own musical identity. He was the pianist in the Muddy Waters band after the death of Otis Spann. Since his 75th birthday, Perkins has released over a dozen recordings showcasing his unique, piano blues.

Rod Piazza (1947-present) Born: Riverside, California Style: Harmonica, modern West Coast blues Songs: Alphabet Blues; Black Night As a teenager, Piazza began traveling to Watts in LA to learn the blues from transplanted Chicago blues men like Shakey Jake and George “Harmonica” Smith. He took their traditional music and added the West coast jump and jazz to pioneer today’s West coast sound.

Elvis Presley (Elvis Aaron Presley) (1935-1977) Born: Tupelo, Mississippi Style: Guitar, vocals rock and roll, hillbilly Songs: That’s All Right; Hound Dog Although best known as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Elvis Presley was also a blues singer. Some of his early hits were remakes of blues songs, including Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s song, “That’s All Right,” which became a national hit.

Presley returned to the blues throughout his career.

Professor Longhair (Henry Roland Byrd) (1918-1980) Born: Bogalusa, Louisiana Style: Piano, New Orleans R&B Songs: Big Chief; Tipitina; Mardi Gras In New Orleans The Professor could rightly be called the Father of New Orleans R&B. His piano incorporated the Latin rhythms, rhumba rock and Caribbean percussive beats with his own yodels to yell voice. He has been a major influence on piano players and on New Orleans music.

Yank Rachell (James Rachell) (1910-1997) Born: Brownsville, Tennessee Style: Guitar, mandolin, pre-war country blues Songs: Diving Duck; Lake Michigan Blues During the 1930s Rachell and his mandolin were essential parts of the rural Tennessee blues. He then moved to St. Louis, later to Chicago and finally to Indianapolis. Over his 60 years, his rural techniques never changed.

Ma Rainey (Gertrude Rainey) (1886-1939) Born: Columbus, Georgia Style: Vocals, classic female blues Songs: C. C. Rider; Bo Weevil Blues The self-proclaimed “Mother of the Blues,” Rainey was a marquee attraction. She was the bridge between the tent and minstrel show singers and the more expressive cabaret style singers who followed. Rainey enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s, but her popularity faded as musical styles changed in the 1930s.


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Blues Men and Women Listing Bonnie Raitt (1949-present) Born: Burbank, California Style: Guitar, electric modern blues Songs: Angel From Montgomery; Something To Talk About Raitt was playing guitar in her teens and began her career as a musician in the late 1960s while she was a student at Radcliffe. She eventually left school to devote her full time attention to singing and playing the blues. Her guitar playing skills and commitment to blues music caught the attention of Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Sippie Wallace and others, giving her the opportunity to learn from and work with some of these blues greats. Although her music has become more eclectic over the years, Raitt continues to play the blues and is an active supporter of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

Jimmy Reed (Mather James Reed) (1925-1976) Born: Dunleith, Mississippi Style: Guitar, harmonica, modern Chicago blues Songs: Big Boss Man; Baby What You Want Me To Do Few songs have brought more fans into the blues than Jimmy Reed’s “Big Boss Man” and “Baby What You Want Me To Do.” His relaxed rhythms and laid-back style had a popular appeal that allowed Reed to crossover regularly to the pop charts. Reed was popular with both black and white audiences and he was a major influence on the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and others.

Jimmy Rogers (James A. Lane) (1924-1997) Born: Ruleville, Mississippi Style: Guitar, electric Chicago blues Songs: Rock This House; Chicago Bound; Sloppy Drunk; Luedella Rogers was the guitarist in the famous Muddy Waters band of the 1950s. From there, he went

on to a solo career until his death. Many of Rogers’s songs are considered blues classics.

Otis Rush (1934-present) Born: Philadelphia, Mississippi Style: Guitar, modern electric Chicago blues Songs: I Can’t Quit You Baby; Double Trouble; All Your Love Bottleneck-like guitar vibrato and incendiary vocals are key elements of Otis Rush's style. His Cobra recordings have often been compared favorably with the intensity and other-worldliness of Robert Johnson's finest sides. One of the architect's of the West Side Sound, Rush’s tunes have been covered by many artists including John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin and Stevie Ray Vaughan, who named his band after the song "Double Trouble".

Jimmy Rushing (1902-1972) Born: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Style: R&B vocalist, Kansas City blues & jazz Songs: Goin’ To Chicago; I Want A Little Girl Known as Mr. Five by Five because of his size, Jimmy Rushing was the star vocalist of Count Basie’s Band from 1935 until about 1950. With hit songs like Goin’ To Chicago and I Ain’t Mad At You, Jimmy, with his high-pitched voice, was a tremendous influence on later jazz and blues vocalists. He was also a United States postage stamp honoree in the 1994 Jazz and Blues series.

Johnny Shines (1915-1992) Born: Frayser, Tennessee Style: Guitar, acoustic Delta blues, electric Chicago blues Songs: Sweet Home Chicago; Ramblin’ A one-time partner of Robert Johnson, Shines’ approach on the guitar and dynamic vocals allowed him to forge his own distinctive style.


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Blues Men and Women Listing Slim Harpo (James Moore) (1924-1970) Born: Lobdell, Louisiana Style: Harmonica, Guitar, Swamp Blues Songs: I’m A King Bee; Raining In My Heart; Shake Your Hips; Scratch My Back Slim Harpo, who started life as James Moore, was the most successful of the Louisiana swamp blues masters. He achieved crossover success several times in the 1960s with hits like Scratch My Back and Raining In My Heart, a prototype Swamp-pop ballad. His harp-driven songs were admired and covered by many musicians including The Rolling Stones and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Bessie Smith (1894-1937) Born: Chattanooga, Tennessee Style: Vocals, classic female blues Songs: Down Hearted Blues; Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out Bessie Smith was known as the Empress of the Blues. Her recording successes in the 1920s reached both city and country audiences. Smith’s vocal passion and intensity were hallmarks of her musical style. Smith’s career and music were instrumental in popularizing the blues.

Mamie Smith (1883-1946) Born: Cincinnati, Ohio Style: Vocals, classic female blues Songs: Crazy Blues Mamie Smith secured her spot in blues history with her 1920 recording of “Crazy Blues.” The recording sold a million copies in its first six months and alerted record labels to the huge market for race records. This single recording opened the doors for recordings to follow in the 1920s and 1930s.

Chris Smither (1944-Present) Born: New Orleans, Louisiana Style: Guitar, Acoustic Blues

Songs: Love Me Like A Man, Can’t Shake These Blues; I Feel The Same Chris was born in New Orleans and came to Cambridge, MA. during the mid-1960s after being told the folk music scene there was flourishing. In Cambridge, he made friends with Eric Von Schmidt, Jim Rooney (both patriarchs of the scene) and Bonnie Raitt. Bonnie later recorded several of Chris’ songs making Love Me Like A Man a blues band staple. In performance, Chris’ amazing guitar style is accompanied by his equally amazing and amplified feet!

Otis Spann (1930-1970) Born: Jackson, Mississippi Style: Piano, electric Chicago blues Songs: My Home Is In The Delta; Must Have Been The Devil Otis Spann was a key part of the Muddy Waters band and recordings from 1953-1969. When he left the band, Pinetop Perkins took his seat. Many consider Spann the archetypal Chicago blues pianist.

Victoria Spivey (1906-1976) Born: Houston, Texas Style: Piano, classic female blues Songs: T.B. Blues Spivey was another of the classic blues women to achieve fame and notoriety through her recordings in the 1920s. She began in the clubs of Houston and was influenced by Ida Cox and Bessie Smith. Like most other classic blues singers, Spivey saw her popularity fade in the 1930s as the musical styles changed. However, she enjoyed a comeback during the blues revival of the 1960s.

Sunnyland Slim (Albert Luandrew) (1907-1995) Born: Vance, Mississippi Style: Piano, electric Chicago blues Songs: Sunnyland Train


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Blues Men and Women Listing Sunnyland Slim started his career playing piano in Delta juke joints. He later traveled throughout the area and settled in Memphis for a time. In the early 1940s, he moved to Chicago where he played and recorded for over 50 years. In fact, it was on one of his 1947 recordings that Muddy Waters could first be heard.

Roosevelt Sykes (1906-1983) Born: Elmar, Arkansas Style: Piano, acoustic Chicago blues Songs: Driving Wheel; 44 Blues; Night Time Is The Right Time Like Sunnyland Slim, Roosevelt Sykes was a pianist who played blues piano in the work camps of the Delta and then transported his techniques to the urban saloons of Chicago - with a stop along the way in St. Louis. His pioneering piano techniques can be heard in the playing of many contemporary blues pianists.

Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker) (1904-1981) Born: Smithfield, Georgia Style: Guitar, piano, acoustic Chicago blues, electric Chicago and hokum blues Songs: It’s Tight Like That; It Hurts Me Too Known as the “Guitar Wizard” for his single-string solo stylings and his slide technique, Tampa Red was one of Chicago’s most influential early blues guitarists. In the 1920s, he teamed up with Tom Dorsey to introduce what became known as the “hokum sound,” light, bouncy melodies with humorous and double-entendre filled lyrics.

Koko Taylor (Cora Taylor) (1935-2009) Born: Memphis Style: Vocals, electric Chicago blues Songs: Wang Dang Doodle; Mother Nature Koko Taylor has been the reigning blues queen since the 1960s. Taylor’s trademark growl and earthy passions have direct ties to the first generation blues women of the 1920s. Her

signature song, “Wang Dang Doodle,” is as popular today as ever.

Susan Tedeschi (1970-present) Born: Boston, Massachusetts Style: Guitar, modern electric blues Songs: It Hurt So Bad; Rock Me Right Tedeschi’s strong voice and biting electric guitar combine to create a modern blues that appeals to today’s young audiences.

Sonny Terry (Saunders Terrell) (1911-1986) Born: Greensboro, Georgia Style: Harmonica, Piedmont acoustic blues Songs: Whoopin’ The Blues; Key To The Highway Partnered with Brownie McGhee, Terry and his harmonica have had a great influence on today’s folk styled harmonica players. When he’s turned loose, he’ll whoop, yell and play an amazing one man fox and hound chase on his tiny harp.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1921-1973) Born: Cotton Plant, Arizona Style: Guitar, classic female blues and gospel Songs: This Train; Precious Lord Tharpe is considered one of the greats of Black sanctified gospel singing. Tharpe played combinations of sacred and secular music everywhere from churches to nightclubs. In her time, Tharpe’s aggressive guitar work was as impressive as Memphis Minnie’s.

Henry Thomas (1874-1930) Born: Big Sandy, Texas Style: Guitar pre-war country blues Songs: Fishin’ Blues; Bull Doze Blues


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Henry Thomas was a Texas songster who was born years before many of the early pivotal blues singers of the 20th century. As such, he

Blues Men and Women Listing was one of the bridges between black music of the 19th and 20th centuries. The 23 songs he recorded between 1927 and 1929 have a timeless quality that influenced artists from Leadbelly to Taj Mahal.

Rufus Thomas (1917-2001) Born: Cayce, Mississippi Style: Vocals, R&B, Memphis soul and blues Songs: Walk The Dog; Funky Chicken; Do The Push And Pull Thomas lives up to his reputation as the World’s Oldest Teenager. His began as a DJ on the Memphis all black radio WDIA, ran talent shows on Beale Street, recorded “Bear Cat” to answer “Hound Dog,” danced the funky chicken and other popular dance moves of the day. He’s still a major draw in the Memphis area.

Big Mama Thornton (Willie Mae Thornton) (1926-1984) Born: Montgomery, Alabama Style: Vocals, harmonica West coast R&B and electric blues Songs: Hound Dog; Ball And Chain Thornton was singing and performing long before her 1953 recording of “Hound Dog” reached the number one slot on the R&B charts. In spite of the success of the record, Thornton saw little of the profits from “Hound Dog.” Thornton continued to tour and record through the 1950s, when she resided in Houston. Later, she relocated to San Francisco where she played local blues clubs and continued to record and work the blues festival circuit until her death in 1984.

Big Joe Turner (1911-1985) Born: Kansas City, Missouri Style: Singer, swing and jump blues Songs: Shake, Rattle and Roll; Honey Hush; Flip, Flop, and Fly Turner was the ultimate blues shouter and a major figure in black music from the 1930s until

his death in 1985. Turner was raised in Kansas City, where he learned to sing in church and on street corners. Later, Turner played in blues and jazz clubs in Kansas City, where he would tend bar and sing the blues. While he may be best known for his 1954 number one hit “Shake, Rattle, and Roll,” Turner had numerous R&B hits throughout the early to mid-1950s. When Turner shouted the blues, the world listened!

Ike Turner (1931-2007) Born: Clarksdale, Mississippi Style: Guitar, piano, R&B, electric blues, rock and roll Songs: Rocket 88; All The Blues, All The Time Many feel that his 1951 recording of “Rocket 88” was one of the first rock and roll records. His 15-year association with Tina Turner brought the pair world fame. Turner went on to work as a session player and talent scout on recordings by Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf and others for Sun Records. Today, Turner has returned to his blues and R&B roots whenever he plays.

Jimmie Vaughan (1951-present) Born: Dallas, TX Style: Guitar, modern electric Texas blues Songs: Six Strings Down; Out There When Vaughan and harmonica player Kim Wilson formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1974, they added a rock flavor to the traditional blues they loved. Vaughan, a classy guitarist, has gone on to a solo career that showcases Texas blues and R&B.

Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990) Born: Dallas, Texas Style: Guitar, modern electric Texas blues Songs: The Sky Is Crying; Pride and Joy; Voodoo Chile


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Stevie Ray Vaughan followed in his brother Jimmie’s footsteps and ignited the blues revival in the 1980s. His fiery guitar work and passionate vocals turned a generation on to the

Blues Men and Women Listing blues. His untimely death came just as Vaughan was taking the blues to huge audiences around the world.

Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson (1917-1988)

Born: Houston, Texas Style: Alto Sax, R&B Vocalist, Jump Blues Songs: Kidney Stew Blues; Somebody’s Gotta Go; Old Maid Boogie Nicknamed Cleanhead after burning off his hair with a lye-based straightener, Eddie got his start in 1936 playing in Milt Larkin’s band. His real fame came a little later after he had joined Cootie Williams Orchestra. While with Williams he had great success singing such hit tunes as Cherry Red Blues and Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby? Known as a fine alto sax player as well, he was an influence on and employer of a very young John Coltrane. In the later years, he worked frequently with the Johnny Otis Show.

Joe Louis Walker (1949-present) Born: San Francisco, California Style: Guitar, harmonica, contemporary electric blues Songs: Blues Of The Month Club; Preacher And The President Though he’s been playing the blues since 1965, Walker gained notice in 1986 with his stunning recording, “Cold is the Night.” Since then he remains a master musician and an in-demand producer.

T-Bone Walker (Aaron Walker) (1910-1975) Born: Linden, Texas Style: Guitar, electric Texas blues Songs: Stormy Monday; Glamour Girl Many electric guitar styles and techniques can be traced back to the playing of T-Bone Walker. Guitarist giants like B.B. King, Gatemouth Brown, and Buddy Guy credit Walker with opening the door to their sound. Part showman,

part tone expert, Walker’s elegant guitar is at the top of the blues guitar monument.

Sippie Wallace (1898-1986) Born: Houston, Texas Style: Vocals, classic female blues Songs: Women Be Wise Wallace was one of the important women singers who recorded blues in the 1920s. Considered an early blues star, Wallace had a number of successful recordings in the mid-1920s. Wallace faded from the recording scene in the 1930’s and was relatively inactive in the blues scene until making a comeback in the 1960s. Her work in the 60s is considered to have been an inspiration to blues-pop singer Bonnie Raitt. During her years away from the blues, Wallace was a singer and played organ in church.

Dinah Washington (Ruth Jones) (1924-1963) Born: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Style: R&B vocalist, Blues & Jazz Songs: Evil Gal Blues; What A Difference A Day Makes; Baby, You’ve Got What It Takes Dinah, born Ruth Jones, got her start singing gospel and backing Sallie Martin on piano. One of the most influential vocalists ever, Dinah was called the “Queen Of The Blues”. She became the featured singer with Lionel Hampton’s band and eventually went out under her own name, a name given to her by Lionel! In 1958, she appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival and her appearance was captured in the film “Jazz on A Summers Day”. She idolized Billie Holiday and even paid for her funeral. In 1994, the United States postal service produced a commemorative stamp of her.

Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) (1915-1983) Born: Rolling Fork, Mississippi


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Style: Guitar, electric Chicago blues

Blues Men and Women Listing Songs: I Can’t Be Satisfied; Long Distance Call; Mojo; Mannish Boy Muddy Waters is the father of the modern electric blues. Waters was born into a sharecropping family in the Mississippi Delta. He grew up musically in the delta, learning to play guitar and harmonica in his youth. He moved to Chicago in the 1940s as part of the Great Migration and there he formed the Muddy Waters Blues Band. During the 1950s, his band and Chess recordings emphasized an aggressive slide guitar attack, backed by a rhythm emphasizing the two and four beat and tied together with Muddy’s Delta-rooted voice. His band was the prototype for both modern blues and rock ‘n’ roll bands; he recorded the tunes Willie Dixon wrote. His music reached British youth across the Atlantic and returned to America during the British musical invasion.

Junior Wells (Amos Wells) (1934-1998) Born: Memphis, Tennessee Style: Harmonica, modern electric Chicago blues Songs: Messin’ With The Kid; Hoodoo Man; Little By Little Wells came to Chicago at 12 years old and promptly joined the city’s blues scene. When Little Walter left the Muddy Waters Band in 1952, the 18 year-old Wells joined the band. His later work with Buddy Guy during the 1970’s helped keep the blues alive during the disco days.

Bukka White (Booker Washington White) (1906-1977) Born: Houston, Mississippi Style: Guitar, harmonica, pre-war Delta blues Songs: Fixin’ To Die; Shake ‘Em On Down White played traditional delta blues and slide guitar. B.B. King, White’s cousin, was greatly influenced by his slide guitar playing. Many consider Bukka White among the best of the Delta blues men.

Josh White (Joshua Daniel White) (1908-1969) Born: Greenville, Mississippi Style: Guitar, folk blues Songs: Strange Fruit; House Of The Rising Sun; Gonna Live The Life Josh White was an important folk blues performer for decades. In the 1930s he recorded as Pinewood Tom. During the 1940s, his songs of racial and social protest reached the White House. In 1950, Eleanor Roosevelt and White toured European capitals in a Goodwill tour. He was a major part of the folk blues revival in the 1960s.

Rev. Robert Wilkins (1896-1987) Born: Hernando, Mississippi Style: Guitar, pre-war country blues Songs: That’s No Way To Get Along; Prodigal Son Wilkins was an outstanding guitarist who created his own structures and melodies. His most famous song is “That’s No Way To Get Along,” which was recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1968 as “Prodigal Son.”

Big Joe Williams (1903-1982) Born: Crawford, Mississippi Style: Guitar, pre-war country blues, Delta blues, electric Chicago blues Songs: Baby Please Don’t Go With his homemade nine-string guitar, Big Joe traveled up from the Mississippi Delta to the streets of Chicago. The music he played was a timeless expression of his life experiences. As the songwriter of “Baby Please Don’t Go,” Williams has assured himself a place in American musical history.

John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson (1914-1948) Born: Jackson, Tennessee


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Style: Harmonica, acoustic Chicago blues

Blues Men and Women Listing Songs: Good Morning Little School Girl; Blue Bird Blues Sonny Boy I was the most influential pre-war harmonica player. His acoustic stylings elevated the dime store harp to a place of prominence in blues bands and paved the way for the electric innovations after his death.

Sonny Boy Williamson II (Aleck “Rice” Miller) (1899-1965) Born: Glendora, Mississippi Style: Harmonica, electric Delta blues, modern Chicago blues Songs: Help Me; Bring It On Home; Eyesight To The Blind To sell more flour on the early 1940s King Biscuit Time radio show, “Rice” Miller took on the name of Sonny Boy, the most famous harmonica player of the day. Sonny Boy II played with everybody from Robert Johnson in Delta jukes to Robert Lockwood, Jr. on the radio to the Yardbirds in England.

Chuck Willis (Harold Willis) (1928-1958) Born: Atlanta, Georgia Style: R&B Vocalist, Songwriter, jump blues Songs: It’s Too Late; What Am I Living For; C.C. Rider; Hang Up My R&R Shoes Singer/Songwriter Chuck Willis was known as the “King of the Stroll” and used to wear a turban in his performances. Not only was he a fine singer but also wrote many tunes still in the blues canon. His songs have been covered by Eric Clapton (Derek and the Dominos), The Band, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Otis Redding.

Kim Wilson (1951-present) Born: Detroit, Michigan Style: Harmonica, modern Texas blues, modern electric blues Songs: Tiger Man; Wait On Time

Though he got his start with Jimmie Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Wilson has developed a harmonica style that caught Muddy Waters’ ear and earned him the praise as the next Little Walter. As the frontman for the T-Birds, Wilson brings classic Chicago blues to festival audiences.

Johnny Winter (1944-present) Born: Leland, Mississippi Style: Guitar, modern electric Texas blues Songs: Blue Mood; Johnny B. Goode Playing a stunning and fiery electric guitar, Johnny Winter brought the blues to blues-rock audiences in the early 1970s. He produced three Grammy-winning albums with Muddy Waters in the late 1970s.

Jimmy Witherspoon (1923-1997) Born: Gurdon, Arizona Style: Vocals, swing, urban blues, R&B, jump blues Songs: No Rollin’ Blues; T’aint Nobody’s Business ‘Spoon was another of the big voiced singers to gain prominence post World War II. Like big Joe Turner, Witherspoon was comfortable interpreting R&B, jazz or blues standards.


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