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"Maple leaf rag" published
Scott Joplin publishes "Maple Leaf Rag." Ragtime will become a key influence on the Piedmont style of blues. -
Period: to
The evolution of Blues
Beginning with musicians influencing others and trying to convince the populace to like their sound. To getting an entire hall of fame honoring those who have brought blues music to the light for the whole world to enjoy. -
W.C. Handy discovers Blues Man
While traveling in Mississippi, W.C. Handy first sees a guitar player
playing early blues music at a train station. -
Great Migration
The mass movement of African Americans, from the South to the North in hopes of escaping the discrimination of the Jim Crow south. This helped spread the blues from the Mississippi Delta to other regions of the United States like St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, and Detroit. -
"Baby Seals Blues" is written and published
The song composed by Baby F. Seals, being the first time the word “blues” is used in print to describe a style of music. -
“Crazy Blues” by Mamie Smith - the first recording by an African American vocalist.
Selling over a million copies in the first year, putting blues music on the map. This helped propel the careers of Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and many others. It led to the creation of a new category
of music, known as “Race” music. -
Blind Lemon Jefferson makes his recording debut.
One of the first solo guitarists with vocal accompaniment to find widespread success earning him the nickname “Father of the Texas Blues”. -
Earliest electric guitars are designed and produced.
Commonly played by jazz guitarists in bigger bands who needed to amplify their sound to be heard among the other, louder instruments. -
Muddy Waters makes his first recordings.
Muddy Waters would go on to become one of the most influential blues artists. -
Muddy Waters leaves Mississippi for Chicago.
Waters goes electric helping to create the Chicago blues sound. Largely centered around electric guitar, Chicago blues will go onto influence influential artists such as the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. -
Billboard creates a “Rhythm and Blues” category,
The Rhythm and Blues replaces Race music, thus becoming R&B . -
Phil and Leonard Chess establish Chess Records
Chess Records was established in Chicago, specializing in Blues records. Some notable artists that are signed by Chess records include Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Chuck Berry. -
Chuck Berry records and releases “Maybelline” on Chess Records
The song reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 5 on the Billboard Pop chart. It is known as one of the first songs to gain widespread popularity with both white and black audiences. -
Columbia releases King of the Delta Blues Singers
It was comprised of recordings made by Robert Johnson in 1936. In 1961, the album would reach England and make a lasting impression on British musicians -
“Little Red Rooster" Released by the Rolling Stones
“Little Red Rooster”, a song originally recorded by Howlin’ Wolf, is re-released by The Rolling Stones, It reaches number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. To this day, it is the only blues song to do so. -
The Blues Foundation establishes the Blues Hall of Fame
Inducting Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, and Robert Johnson. Initially, the Blues Hall of Fame didn’t have a physical building until the Blues Hall of Fame Museum was opened in Memphis in 2015.
