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Slave Trade Ends
During the 15th century, the Portugeuse were the first to engage in the slave trade, capturing and exporting slaves to overseas empires, and other "great" empires soon followed suit, such as the Bristish and Dutch empires. The North Atlantic slave trade mainly took slaves from western Africa to North America.
The trade ended with the Royal Navy's supremacy at sea -
Blues Music First Mentioned
Blues lyrically predates the music, but the most important event in the origins of Blues as a music form was when an Archeologist noted black workers singing music with "lyrical themes and technical elements in common with the blues"*.
Etymologist Gerhard Kubik made the discovery whilst researching the Blues. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_blues#Blues_around_1900 -
William C. Handy Publishes "Memphis Blues"
"Memphis Blues"" was composer and big band leader W. C. Handy's first attempt at the Blues, and helped develop Handy's musical style. This in turn inspired Jazz, and helped bring blues into the spotlight. He also helped develop 12-bar blues, widely used in Boogie-woogie. -
The Birth of Jazz
Between 1915 and 1917 blues and ragtime had sufficiently fused together to birth the mainstream genre of Jazz. -
Mainstream Blues
Female vocalists such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, and Ragtime/Jazz composer W.C. Handy helped popularize Blues as a mainstream genre. The main body of music came from the Missisouri Delta and Memphis City. In 1923 Kentucky-born Sylvester Weaver became the first blues musician to record in the Hawaiin Slide-Guitar style, becoming a staple of Delta Blues. This popularization was made possible by the interest and recordings made by American Record Corporation, Okeh Records, and Paramount Record. -
Robert Johnson Starts Recording
The label 'American Record Company' started recording Robert Johnso between 1936 to '37. He released some of the most inspirationall blues music of all-time, inspiring musical greats Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, the latter "rescuing" Robert Johnson's music from obscurity. -
Jump Blues
Jump Blues was developed by Louis Jordan, who was a singer and saxophone player (though not exclusively) for label 'Decca' and released his first song in 1938. He helped bridge the gap between Big Bands and R&B by writing Jump Blues alongside other artists, such as T-bone Walker and Billy Wright. -
The Legend of Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson dies this day. Me and the Devil Blues is one of Robert Johnson's most notable records, and helped establish one of the bioggest myths in old blues, the one where he sells his soul to the devil for the ability to play the blues. -
"Mean Old World" Recorded
T-Bone Walker was a blues musician who basically put the guitar solo at the front of his work, an staple for most blues-rock songs. He influenced, among others, Eric Clapton, and the great Muddy Waters, who was probably the biggest influence on 60s British and white blues. -
Rock 'n' Roll
It's hard to pinpoint the exact start of Rock and Roll, but some contenders named by by Jim Dawson & Steve Propes, by Faber & Faber, 1992, "What was the First Rock 'n' Roll Record?" names songs as early as 1944/45, such as 'Jazz at the Philharmonic: Blues Part 2', and
Joe Liggins, "The Honeydripper" as possible contenders, as well as "Boggie Chillen'" by John Lee Hooker, in 1948. -
Muddy Waters
In 1944, Muddy Waters' (Stage Name) was given his first electric guitar, with which he helped create some of the biggest hits of the 50s blues scene. This, combined with jump blues and rythm 'n' blues, helped the electric-charged rock n'n roll by artists such as Bill Haley and his Comets "(We're Gonna) Rock around the Clock" and Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock". A noteworthy mention would be B.B. King. -
"The Day the Music Died"
Reffered to as "The Day the Music Died" by Don Mclean in his hit song "American Pie", Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, known as the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, after bad weather became to much for a young inexperienced pilot, the 4th person to die, Roger Peterson. -
Blues-Rock formed.
The Yardbirds and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers were formed this year, and helped put blues rock as one of the biggest genres of the British Invasion. -
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British Music Invasion of America
Just over 5 years after the fatal crah that killed 3 of America's most promising and biggest (in relation to Buddy Holly) talents in rock 'n' roll, the Beatles took New York and, consequently, America by storm. After the skiffle craze of the 50s only established the UK as a 'hand-me-down' style country, the Beatles helped establish the U.K. as the centre of Rock.
By 1967, however, the U.S. had learned how to effectively recreate the style. -
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds after falling out over the succes of "For Your Love" a hit-song that Eric felt had cut out the bands blues influences. He joined John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, before forming Cream, possibly the world's first supergroup, made of Eric Clapton, with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, from the Graham Bond Organisation. "Sunshine of Your Love" is the most recognisable song. -
Fleetwood Mac
The first version of Fleetwood Mac was a Blues-Rock band, comprising of former Bluesbreakers Mick Fleetwood (Drums), John McVie (Bass) and Peter Green (Guitar and Vocals), as well as slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer. -
Led Zeppelin
The Yardbirds worked with Jimmy Page, who introduced them, after Eric Clapton left the group, to Jeff Beck. After Jeff Beck finally left the Yardbirds, Jimmy Page became the lead guitarist. This lead to the eventual formation of Led Zeppelin, arguably the biggest Blues-Rock band in Britain during the late 60's to mid 70s. They created "Whole Lotta Love", and "Stairway to Heaven", among other songs. -
Judas Priest
Originally a Blues Rock group, Judas Preist severed their Blues Rock roots to take them away from similarly innovative groups such as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to further develop Metal. -
The Black Keys
Probably one of the biggest rock duos around at the moment, the Black Keys specialize in both Blues Rock and Psychadelic Rock, though have more critical and commercial success in the Blues area, and stand testimant to the influence of Blues Rock today.