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Blues Timeline VS

By vstewart
  • Period: to

    Blues Era

  • W.C. Handy

    W.C. Handy
    W.C. Handy was born on November 16, 1873. He was born in Florence, Alabama. He lived in a log cabin and he showed an interest in music even as a child.

  • Blind Lemon Jefferson

    Blind Lemon Jefferson
    The "Father of Texas Blues" was born. He helped launch and define the Texas Blues.

  • Memphis Minnie

    Memphis Minnie
    Memphis Minnie was a very successful artist in the blues era. Her career lasted over 30 years and she published around 200 songs.

  • Maple Leaf Rag

    Maple Leaf Rag
    Maple Leaf Rag was a very popular piece that launched the blues genre.

  • Louis Jordan

    Louis Jordan
    He was popular from that late 1930s to 1950s. He was also known as the "King of Jukebox".

  • Big Joe Turner

    His real name is Joseph Turner and he grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He greatly influenced the future of rock and roll.

  • Memphis Blues

    Memphis Blues
    WC Handy published the first blues song called Memphis Blues. This song was the launching point of the blues genre and took America by storm.

  • Muddy Waters

    Muddy Waters
    McKinley Morganfield, also known as Muddy Waters, became popular in the post war scene. He was also known as the "father of modern Chicago blues".

  • WW1

    WW1
    When the USA joined WW1 it inspired a lot of blues artists.

  • Crazy Blues

    Crazy Blues
    Mamie Smith and Her Jazz Hounds recorded Crazy Blues. This changed the way blues songs were written. More musicians started writing blues songs with lyrics and more producers saw the appeal of signing on blues artists.

  • Bessie Smith

    Bessie Smith
    In 1923, Bessie Smith was signed on with Columbia Records. This helped launch her career and give her the name "Empress of Blues".

  • Great Depression

    Great Depression
    The Great Depression influenced many blues artists. They told their stories about this difficult time through their music.

  • Jump Blues

    Jump Blues started gaining popularity in the 1940s. Jump Blues was made of small blues and usually had a sax or a brass instrument.

  • G.I. Jive

    The song G.I. Jive is a good example of a song that impacted American society and told a story of people at that time. G.I. Jive was written in the height of WW2 and tells the stories of soldiers in WW2 in a lighthearted way.

  • World War 2

    World War 2 influenced many blues artists and their songs. It was a dark time in world history and many artists used music as an outlet.

  • Blues Rock

    Developed in 1960s and was heavily influenced by Delta and Chicago Blues. This style helped form The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, The Doors, and Credence.