List of Delta blues musicians

The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from north to south between Memphis, Tennessee, and Vicksburg, Mississippi, and from east to west between the Yazoo River and the Mississippi River. The Mississippi Delta is historically famous for its fertile soil and the poverty of farm workers living there. Guitar and harmonica are the dominant instruments in Delta blues. Vocal styles range from introspective and soulful to passionate and fiery.

A

  • Woodrow Adams (April 9, 1917 – August 9, 1988). Singer, guitarist and harmonica player who recorded three singles.[1]
  • Cecil Augusta (born 1920). Singer and guitarist who recorded one song for Alan Lomax in 1959.[2]

B

C

D

E

  • David Honeyboy Edwards (June 28, 1915, Shaw, Mississippi – August 29, 2011). Grammy Award–winning guitarist and singer; at the time of his death he may have been the last living Delta blues player of the twentieth century.[13]
  • Robert "Big Mojo" Elem (January 22, 1928 – February 5, 1997).[14]

G

  • Boyd Gilmore (June 1, 1905 December 23, 1976).[15] Delta blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. Among the songs he wrote were "All in My Dreams", "Believe I'll Settle Down", "I Love My Little Woman" and "If That's Your Girl". Gilmore also recorded a version of fellow Delta bluesman Robert Johnson's track, "Ramblin' on My Mind".[16][17]

H

J

K

L

M

N

  • Sonny Boy Nelson (December 23, 1908 – November 4, 1998). Multi-instrumentalist, playing the banjo, guitar, harmonica, horn, mandolin and violin.[35]

O

  • Jack Owens (November 17, 1904 – February 9, 1997). Singer and guitarist.[36]

P

  • Charley Patton (between April 1887 and 1891 – April 28, 1934). Guitarist, slide guitarist and singer, considered by many to be the "father of the Delta blues" is credited with creating an enduring body of American music and personally inspiring just about every Delta bluesman.[37]
  • Pinetop Perkins (July 7, 1913, Belzoni, Mississippi – March 21, 2011). Pianist who played with some of the most influential blues and rock and roll performers in American history.[38]
  • Robert Petway (possibly October 18, 1907 – May 1978). Singer and guitarist who recorded only 16 songs, but was an influence on many notable blues and rock musicians.[39]

R

  • Sonny Rhodes (born November 3, 1940). Singer and lap steel guitar player.
  • Andy Rodgers (March 14, 1922 – August 14, 2004) was a harmonicist, guitarist, singer and songwriter. A flamboyant character, known commonly as the "Midnight Cowboy", Rodgers worked part-time as a musician for most of his lifetime, finally recording two albums in the 1990s.[40]
  • Doctor Ross (October 21, 1925, Tunica, Mississippi – May 28, 1993). Harmonica player, guitarist and singer of country blues, Delta blues, Detroit blues and juke joint blues.[41]

S

T

U

  • L. C. Ulmer (August 28, 1928 – February 14, 2016). Singer, songwriter and one-man band, playing up to 12 musical instruments at one time.[54]

W

  • Bukka White (November 12, 1909 – February 26, 1977). Guitarist and singer.[55]
  • Geeshie Wiley (dates of birth and death unknown). Singer and guitarist who recorded six songs in 1930 and 1931.[56]
  • Big Joe Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982). Guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar.[57]
  • Sonny Boy Williamson II (c. December 5, 1912 – May 24, 1965). Early and influential harmonica stylist who recorded in the 1950s and 1960s.[58]

Timeline of some well-known Delta blues artists

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References

Citations

  1. "Woodrow Wilson Adams : Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  2. "FAME Review: Various Artists – Alan Lomax: Blues Songbook". Acousticmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  3. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 211. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  4. Linda Seida (2000-12-16). "Tommy Bankhead | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
  5. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 241.
  6. Wardlow, G.D. (1998). Chasin' That Devil Music. E. Komara, ed. San Francisco: Miller Freeman. pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-0879305529
  7. Cheseborough, Steve (2009). Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues. University of Mississippi. p. 196.
  8. Komara 2004, p. 162.
  9. Ratliff, Ben (1997-03-15). "Delta Blues, Including Long Jokes And Lust". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  10. King, Stephen A. (2011). I'm Feeling the Blues Right Now: Blues Tourism and the Mississippi Delta. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781617030116.
  11. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. pp. 99–100. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  12. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 103. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  13. "In praise of … Delta bluesmen | Comment is free". The Guardian. 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  14. Shadwick 2001, p. 281.
  15. "Illustrated Boyd Gilmore discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  16. "Boyd Gilmore | Songs". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  17. Herzhaft 1992, p. 354.
  18. Komara, Edward; Lee, Peter (July 19, 2004). "The Blues Encyclopedia". Routledge. p. 409 via Google Books.
  19. "Illustrated Richard "Hacksaw" Harney Discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  20. Shadwick 2001, p. 307.
  21. Franz, Steve (2003). The Amazing Secret History of Elmore James. BlueSource Publications. ISBN 978-097180-381-7
  22. Shadwick 2001, p. 316.
  23. Russell, Tony (June 1, 2011). "Blues, Big Jack Johnson obituary, One of the last of the rural deep south juke-joint bluesmen". The Guardian. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  24. Cheseborough, Steve (2009). Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues. University of Mississippi Press. p. 59.
  25. AllMusic 1996, p. 140–141.
  26. Herzhaft 1992, pp. 175–177.
  27. Shadwick 2001, p. 348.
  28. Leggett, Steve. "Willie Lofton - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  29. Robert Palmer. Deep Blues. Penguin Books. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-14-006223-6.
  30. Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
  31. Bob Eagle; Eric S. LeBlanc (2013). Blues – A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California, United States: Praeger Publishers. p. 217.
  32. "Hayes Mc Mullan | Light In The Attic Records". Lightintheattic.net. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  33. Shadwick 2001, p. 353.
  34. Shadwick 2001, p. 355.
  35. Cheseborough, Steve (October 24, 2018). "Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues, Fourth Edition". University Press of Mississippi. p. 181 via Google Books.
  36. Govenar, Alan (2001). "Jack Owens: African American Blues Guitarist and Singer". Masters of Traditional Arts: A Biographical Dictionary. vol. 2 (K-Z). Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. pp. 498–500. ISBN 1576072401.
  37. Shadwick 2001, p. 371.
  38. Friskics-Warren, Bill (March 21, 2011). "Pinetop Perkins, Delta Boogie-Woogie Master, Dies at 97". The New York Times. p. A25.
  39. Robert Palmer. Deep Blues. Penguin Books. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-14-006223-6.
  40. Lee, Ching (2004-08-18). "Legendary Mid-Valley Blues Man Dies at 82". Appeal-Democrat.com. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  41. Ankeny, Jason. "Doctor Ross | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  42. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 166. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  43. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 217. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  44. Komara 2004, p. 317.
  45. Gioia, Ted (2008). Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music. New York: W. W. Norton. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-393-06258-8.
  46. Harris, Jeff. "Houston Stackhouse (19101980)". Encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  47. Santelli, Robert (2001). The Big Book of Blues. Penguin Books. page 454. ISBN 0-14-100145-3.
  48. Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music. Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
  49. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 117. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  50. "Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  51. Ventre, Sarah (2011-02-03). "T-Model Ford @ The Rhythm Room". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  52. Blake, J (2011-02-10). "T-Model Ford's Taledragger, CD Review". American Blues News. Archived from the original on 2011-09-12. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  53. Jenkins, Mark (2010-02-26). "CD review: T-Model Ford's 'The Ladies Man'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  54. King, Stephen A. (2011). I'm Feeling the Blues Right Now: Blues Tourism and the Mississippi Delta. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-61703-010-9.
  55. AllMusic 1996, p. 429.
  56. Gioia, T. (2009). Delta Blues. W. W. Norton. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-393-33750-1.
  57. Shadwick 2001, p. 437.
  58. "Sonny Boy Williamson". Mississippi Blues Trail. Retrieved July 11, 2014.

Sources

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