-
How did Blues got its name?
The term blues may have come from "blue devils", meaning melancholy and sadness; an early use of the term in this sense is in George Colman's one-act farce Blue Devils (1798). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues#History -
All started around...
The blues has deep roots in American history, particularly African-American history. The blues originated on Southern plantations in the 19th Century. It might started, probably around 1890. -
Period: to
One of the first..
One of the first documented blues song to be written was Handy’s Mr. Crump, which was later entitled Memphis Blues. Handy wrote the song in 1909 and it was later published on paper in 1912. https://learn.pvschools.net/mod/book/view.php?id=199512 -
Period: to
#1 Famous Song
Robert Johnson – Hellhound On My Trail
Legendary Delta blues singer, described by Eric Clapton as “the most important blues musician who ever lived”. However this reputation was not established until long after his death. -
First Blues Artist
The first recording by an African American singer was Mamie Smith's 1920 rendition of Perry Bradford's "Crazy Blues". -
First Type of Blues..
Delta Blues – Considered the birthplace of blues. Originating around the Mississippi delta, this style is dominated by slide guitar and harmonica, usually with passionate vocals and deeply personal lyrics. Although Delta blues certainly existed in some form or another at the turn of the 20th century, it was first recorded in the late 1920s https://learn.pvschools.net/mod/book/view.php?id=199512&chapterid=71000 -
Chicago and Detroit Blues
After thousands of African American farm workers migrated north to cities like Chicago and Detroit during both World Wars, many began to view traditional blues as an unwanted reminder of their humble days toiling in the fields; they wanted to hear music that reflected their new surroundings. https://learn.pvschools.net/mod/book/view.php?id=199512&chapterid=71000 -
Memphis Blues
Memphis embraced the blues and Beale Street soon became the launching point for many aspiring blues musicians. By the 1920s, Beale Street was a showcase for "jug bands" which played a mixture of blues, ragtime, and humorous tunes, and were popular among both blacks and whites at medicine shows, juke joints, on riverboats, and at political and civic events -
Bessie and Ma Rainey
Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, the defining performers of the classic blues, make their recording debuts. -
Folk Blues Debuts
Ralph Peer, the famous Artist & Repertory man for Okeh and Victor Records, makes his first field recordings in Atlanta, Georgia, marking the recording debut of both the folk blues and what will later be called country music. -
First Folk Blues Records
The first male folk blues records, featuring singers Papa Charlie Jackson and Daddy Stovepipe, are issued. -
Period: to
Important Man
For many people, BB King personifies the blues. Rolling Stone listed him as #3 on their list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." For over 60 years, he has been performing and recording and his style has influenced generations of blues musicians who have come after him. His is one of the most identifiable guitar styles in the world. He has parlayed his fame into blues clubs and the powerfufl XM radio station "BB King's Bluesville." -
Electric Guitar
Eddie Durham records the first music featuring the electric guitar. The modern instrument, first developed by musician George Beauchamp and engineer Adolph Rickenbacher in the early 1930s, will help to transform the sound of the blues.
https://www.shmoop.com/blues-history/timeline.html -
Blues Concert
Muddy Waters and B.B. King perform at the Fillmore East, a concert venue in the East Village region of New York City, to a predominantly white audience. -
"Year of the Blues"
Congress declares 2003 the "Year of the Blues," commemorating the 100th anniversary of W.C. Handy's encounter with an unknown early bluesman at a train station in Mississippi.
