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

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.[41]

O

  • Jack Owens (November 17, 1904 – February 9, 1997). Singer and guitarist.[42]

P

  • Bertha Lee Pate better known as Bertha Lee (June 17, 1902 Lula, Mississippi – May 10, 1975). Singer. Recorded with, and was the common-law wife of, Charley Patton.[43]
  • 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.[44]
  • 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.[45]
  • Robert Petway (possibly October 18, 1907 – date of death unknown). Singer and guitarist who recorded only 16 songs, but was an influence on many notable blues and rock musicians.[46]

R

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.[61]

W

  • Bukka White (November 12, 1906 – February 26, 1977). Guitarist and singer.[62]
  • Geeshie Wiley (dates of birth and death unknown). Singer and guitarist who recorded six songs in 1930 and 1931.[63]
  • Big Joe Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982). Guitarist, singer-songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar.[64]
  • Sonny Boy Williamson II (December 5, 1912 – May 24, 1965). Early and influential harmonica stylist who recorded in the 1950s and 1960s.[65]

Timeline of some well-known Delta blues artists

References

Citations

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  4. ^ Linda Seida (2000-12-16). "Tommy Bankhead | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
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  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. ^ a b c d e f "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. ISBN 9781135958329 – via Google Books.
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  25. ^ AllMusic 1996, p. 140–141.
  26. ^ Herzhaft 1992, pp. 175–177.
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  31. ^ Shadwick 2001, p. 348.
  32. ^ Leggett, Steve. "Willie Lofton - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  33. ^ Robert Palmer (1981). Deep Blues. Penguin Books. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-14-006223-6.
  34. ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
  35. ^ Bob Eagle; Eric S. LeBlanc (2013). Blues – A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California, United States: Praeger Publishers. p. 217.
  36. ^ "Hayes Mc Mullan | Light In The Attic Records". Lightintheattic.net. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  37. ^ Shadwick 2001, p. 353.
  38. ^ Shadwick 2001, p. 355.
  39. ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 214. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  40. ^ Dahl, Bill (1998). Liner notes to D.C. Blues: The Complete Library of Congress Recordings, Vol. 1. Fuel 2000 Records CD.
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  42. ^ 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.
  43. ^ "Biography by Joslyn Layne". AllMusic. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  44. ^ Shadwick 2001, p. 371.
  45. ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (March 21, 2011). "Pinetop Perkins, Delta Boogie-Woogie Master, Dies at 97". The New York Times. p. A25.
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  51. ^ Komara 2004, p. 317.
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  62. ^ AllMusic 1996, p. 429.
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Sources