Who Were The First Blues Musicians
Early country blues and Delta blues guitarist and vocalist.
Who were the first blues musicians. To provide an idea of what this early blues sounded like here is Hattie Ellis singing her own composition Desert Blues in a field recording by John and Ruby Lomax made in Texas in 1939. Their style is known as classic blues. Dubbed the Father of Modern Blues Harp Sonny Boy Williamson 1914 1948 was a true visionary as one of the few artists to incorporate the harmonica as an expressive lead instrument.
Marion Harris another popular vaudeville singer waxed the Paradise Bluesin November 1916. She first made her name as a singer at a talent show at the age of 12 and by16 she joined parents travelling musical act where she continued earning her stripes. By the 1940s and 50s the style had developed further and included a range of other instruments.
Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson made the blues style very popular in the 1920s. The first blues recordings were made in the 1920s by Black women such as Mamie Smith Ma Rainey Ida Cox and Bessie Smith. These performers were primarily stage singers backed by jazz bands.
Acoustic and electric North Mississippi hill country blues Delta blues and juke joint blues guitarist and singer. 1901 1968 Georgia Acoustic blues. Guitarist singer and songwriter.
Among the blues artists he recorded were Lost John Hunter and Joe Hill Louis and in early 1951 Phillips cut BB Kings first sides for RPM and Walter Hortons audition acetates for Modern. This new upbeat electrified form of the blues became the first glimpse of rock-n-roll and rhythm and blues. The next year popular vaudeville and musical comedy star Nora Bayes recorded the Homesickness Blues becoming the first woman to record a song with blues in the title.
Burnside November 23 1926 Oxford Mississippi September 1 2005. King who offered hefty dollops of rock along with their blues. The word blues already existed in popular song distribution for sad songs and love songs so many song titles had blues in them long before blues music saw print.