In the 1920s and 30s, black sharecroppers whose Grandaddies were slaves (as opposed to those middle class and urban working class blacks whose grandpops paid for an Ocean Liner from Nigeria 
) sang sad songs about being poor and oppressed. They had never heard any other music so weren't influenced by, for example, the Church or popular music of the day. The Blues had no connection with the Music played in bars and clubs, or the streets of New Orleans, or by New York pianists, it was by real people. Blues sprang from the soil of the Deep South. More importantly at the same time they invented rock and roll and were the main influence on soul. They invented rap, as rap and blues lyrics both "told stories". They must have invented Bob Marley as unlike other Reggae singers he posed with a geetar as well. Even more importantly, without these strumming folky bloosers we would not have had the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen (which is likely true but it's hardly fair to hold that against them!)
As the BBC headlined a few years ago. "Singer who influenced Bob Dylan dies".
NP Duke Ellington and his Uppitty Negroes with That's the sound of the men phoning their Stockbrokers.
Professor Wally Hammond.
The University of Slough
) sang sad songs about being poor and oppressed. They had never heard any other music so weren't influenced by, for example, the Church or popular music of the day. The Blues had no connection with the Music played in bars and clubs, or the streets of New Orleans, or by New York pianists, it was by real people. Blues sprang from the soil of the Deep South. More importantly at the same time they invented rock and roll and were the main influence on soul. They invented rap, as rap and blues lyrics both "told stories". They must have invented Bob Marley as unlike other Reggae singers he posed with a geetar as well. Even more importantly, without these strumming folky bloosers we would not have had the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen (which is likely true but it's hardly fair to hold that against them!)As the BBC headlined a few years ago. "Singer who influenced Bob Dylan dies".
NP Duke Ellington and his Uppitty Negroes with That's the sound of the men phoning their Stockbrokers.
Professor Wally Hammond.
The University of Slough