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Maple Leaf Rag Published
Scott Joplin releases the song "Maple Leaf Rag", which is ragtime style. Ragtime will soon have a key influence on blues. -
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Blues Timeline
Blues music events -
First Bluesman
Musician W.C. Handy sees an unknown bluesman playing guitar with a knife at a train station in Mississippi. -
First Blues Song Recorded
W.C. Handy's "Memphis Blues" and recorded as sheet music. -
Mamie Smith - "Crazy Blues"
Mamie Smith records "Crazy Blues" for Okeh Records. This becomes the first blues hit, starting the business of "race" recording. -
Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey
Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey make their record debuts for classic blues. -
Folk Blues Debuts
Ralph Peer makes his first field recordings in Atlanta, Georgia, marking the recording debut of new folk blues. -
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Lemon Jefferson will become the first star of folk blues, and the dominant figure of the blues of the late 1940's. -
Charley Patton
Charley Patton, an early delta bluesman is first recorded. -
Great Depression
The Great Depression begins, causing economic ruin. This causes sales of records and phonographs to plummet, which is very bad for the recording industry. -
Electric Guitar Introduced
Eddie Durham records first song with electric guitar.This will help transform the sound of blues. -
"Three O'Clock Blues"
B.B. King's first major rhythm and blues hit with a version of "Three O'Clock Blues. -
The Country Blues Published
"The Country Blues" published by Samuel Charters. This helped add the blues element to the revival of folk music -
Rolling Stones
The first US tour of the Rolling Stones marks the invasion of British blues-rock groups. -
Delta Bluesmen Perform
Recently rediscovered bluesman Son House and Skip James perform at the Newport Folk Festival -
Year of the Blues
2003 is declared the year of the blues, celebrating the 100th anniversary of when W.C. Handy encountered an unknown blues man at a train station in Mississippi.
