Since Memphis is called the "birthplace of the blues" it seems appropriate to sprinkle some amidst this weekly feature. Conventional legend has it that W.C. Handy wrote the first commercial blues song in a bar on Beale Street here in Memphis in 1912. Muddy Waters got his start here as well, seen here singing perhaps his signature tune..
Other blues artists managed to influence white rock/blues in the 60s and 70s, Sonny Boy Williamson among them..
There were others, like Elmore James and Robert Johnson, but predominately white artists such as the Allman Brothers and Eric Clapton raked in all the cash and fame.
3 comments:
That's what I'm talking about, Big Daddy. Cool man, cool.
Always will I be a fan of the blues.
Years ago, I attended a Reggae festival in New Orleans. I might have been the only white guy in the entire stadium. You give me enough beer and a few cigars, I end up dancing with an 80-year-old black woman. But I do enjoy jazz and the music of the south … including reggae. It is part of our heritage, and is therefore valuable and worth preserving. Thanks for posting this, AC … life's too short to miss out on the good stuff.
I left out mention of B.B. King (not purposely), who himself was probably influenced by some of the early guys.
But I'm not sure the white blues artists were as influenced by his style as they were the others. I have been to King's restaurant on Beale, though!
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