Blues Music Description
Often referred to as "the Blues," this form of music founded in the U.S. is usually based on a 12-bar structure and is typically sorrowful in its themes. Though it was popularized in the 1920s by the likes of Leadbelly, Son House and Robert Johnson, blues music's roots date back even farther.
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History
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Born in the Civil War-era Mississippi Delta, blues music was heavily influenced by spirituals, ballads, field hollers and other forms of earlier African-American music. The blues gained great popularity in the 1940s with the rise of Chicago blues legends Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, among others.
Features
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The lyrics of blues music are often about loss and regret, but can also be about overcoming hard luck, triumphing or just expressing innermost emotions. Usually played in a 12-bar cycle, the blues also has its own distinct musical scale.
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Significance
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Blues music has influenced any number of popular rock artists and bands. From the Beatles and Led Zeppelin to the White Stripes, many owe a great debt to the genre.
Blues Music Today
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Though hip-hop and R&B are generally accepted as the most popular current evolutions of early African-American music, blues music can still be heard at popular clubs around the world. A number of blues legends--such as B.B. King--still play frequently.
Fun Fact
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The "B.B." in "B.B. King" stands for Blues Boy. His given name is Riley. When he was getting his start in Memphis, Tennessee., King was billed as the Beale Street Blues Boy. That was shortened to Blues Boy, and finally to simply B.B.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kate Gardiner Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Steve Garry
