Key Figures in the Development of the Blues – Part 1
There are literally dozens of blues musicians from the first half of the 20th century who made important contributions to the development of blues as a musical genre. The following list of key figures is far from exhaustive, but it does serve as a starting point for listeners interested in the history of the blues.
Charley Patton
Considered by some music historians to be one of the most important figures in the development of the blues, Charley Patton left a mark on the genre with such songs as “Pony Blues”, “A Spoonful Blues” and “Down the Dirt Road Blues.” Patton was the consummate live performer, playing his guitar behind his back or slung down below his knees, and had a distinct gravelly voice. His showmanship and the intensity of his shows made him very popular. He recorded during the 1920’s and 30’s, and his surviving recordings are somewhat marred by their quality which was further complicated by Patton’s often slurred diction. But Patton’s music endures because he had a gift for narrative and the themes of these songs resonated with his audience. Although he is sometimes referred to as “The Father of Delta Blues”, he was also popular outside of the Delta region, often travelling to places like New York City and Chicago to perform.
Robert Johnson
The near deity of the blues, and very likely the most influential of all blues musicians, Robert Johnson was an itinerant Mississippi bluesman who played the juke joints and dances of the Delta circuit in the 1930’s. But despite his legend in contemporary blues circles, very little is actually known about Johnson’s life. While he was on the traveling circuit and was well-acknowledged for his skills across the Delta region, his legend didn’t really was not established until long after his death. He only recorded 42 songs that have survived, 13 of which are variants on what he had already recorded … so 29 distinct songs total … but oh what a discography … “Love In Vain”, “Crossroad Blues”, “Hellhound On My Trail”, “Sweet Home Chicago”, “Terraplane Blues” just to name a few. Johnson’s guitar skill was virtually unparalleled, and part of the mythology about Johnson was that he made a deal with the Devil at the crossroads near Dockery Plantation to obtain those skills. Robert Johnson died at the age of 27, apparently after ingesting whiskey that may have been given to him by a jealous husband, thus becoming one of the original members of the so-called “27 club.”
Son House
Eddie James House Jr. or “Son House” was born in Lyon, Mississippi near Clarksdale in 1902, and is renowned for his passionate singing style and distinctive slide guitar playing. He was a devote Baptist who at various times served as a preacher and a church pastor, and he was initially strongly opposed to secular music such as the blues. That changed dramatically in 1927 when he overheard a drinking partner (accounts vary as to who that musician was) playing bottleneck guitar and acquired a guitar to learn how to play. Shortly thereafter, while performing in a juke joint, House killed a man in an altercation that was very likely self-defense, and he was sentenced to prison. Two years later after being released from prison, House left Clarksdale and moved to Lula, Mississippi where he struck up an acquaintance with Charley Patton, who happened to reside in Lula at that time. In 1930, Patton was approached by Paramount Records to record in Wisconsin, and House was invited to come along and record as well. House recorded nine songs during those recording sessions, eight of which were released, but they were a commercial failure, and House would not record again until the 1960’s. In 1964, during the height of the blues revival of the 1960’s, House was rediscovered working in a train station in Rochester, New York and was persuaded to return to the blues. He was signed to CBS records, and toured constantly until 1974, when he retired due to ill health.
