Blues is a simple and timeless American music. It is a folk music that collided with new media and commercialization. Blues influenced the development of many other styles of music, such as jazz, rock and roll, and soul. The roots of blues stem from Africa but this music was born in the United States. In 1865, the American Civil War freed American slaves and by 1900 the blues appeared in the south. Many of the newly freed slaves came from different tribes, but the blues gave them a new language. It spoke in first person and the lyrics were about moving on, forgetting past problems, and release from being confined. W.C. Handy was a composer and musician who is known as the “Father of the Blues.” He first heard the blues being played by a
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The solo artists were coming from the Mississippi Delta. Charlie Patton was a blues musician who was considered to be the “Father of the Delta Blues.” He was discovered by H.C. Spiers, who was a talent scout who owned a record store in Mississippi. Many famous artists were discovered by H.C. Spiers in the Mississippi Delta. The actual reason for blues music was the segregation and discrimination that still existed in the United States. This music was a way for African-Americans to express themselves. The Great Depression brought difficulties in the record industry and in blues …show more content…
They insisted they were playing blues and even brought Howlin’ Wolf on a primetime television performance. Many young white people began to try and play blues after the Rolling Stones gained popularity. The authenticity of blues was becoming irrelevant in modern America. B.B. King played sophisticated blues that spoke to a white audience as well. Into the 1970s, blues evolved into rock which evolved into hard rock which evolved into heavy metal. The 1980s brought another blues revival with popularity of musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Robert Cray.
Blues is the symbol of the American dream. It hit its symbolic peak when President Obama held the Evening of Blues in 2012 and sang “Sweet Home Chicago” with B.B. King. Blues crossed musical, racial, and national boundaries. Today, blues is used commercially in advertisements for products. It also provides an economic boost for the south through blues history tourism. Essentially, all American music is influenced by the
The solo artists were coming from the Mississippi Delta. Charlie Patton was a blues musician who was considered to be the “Father of the Delta Blues.” He was discovered by H.C. Spiers, who was a talent scout who owned a record store in Mississippi. Many famous artists were discovered by H.C. Spiers in the Mississippi Delta. The actual reason for blues music was the segregation and discrimination that still existed in the United States. This music was a way for African-Americans to express themselves. The Great Depression brought difficulties in the record industry and in blues …show more content…
They insisted they were playing blues and even brought Howlin’ Wolf on a primetime television performance. Many young white people began to try and play blues after the Rolling Stones gained popularity. The authenticity of blues was becoming irrelevant in modern America. B.B. King played sophisticated blues that spoke to a white audience as well. Into the 1970s, blues evolved into rock which evolved into hard rock which evolved into heavy metal. The 1980s brought another blues revival with popularity of musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Robert Cray.
Blues is the symbol of the American dream. It hit its symbolic peak when President Obama held the Evening of Blues in 2012 and sang “Sweet Home Chicago” with B.B. King. Blues crossed musical, racial, and national boundaries. Today, blues is used commercially in advertisements for products. It also provides an economic boost for the south through blues history tourism. Essentially, all American music is influenced by the