Song of the Day: Mississippi River Blues by Big Bill Broonzy

Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conly Bradley, probably in 1903) was one of 17 children born to Frank Broonzy Bradley and Mittie Belcher, both of whom were former slaves.  Broonzy grew up in Arkansas, learning the violin at an early age, moved to Chicago sometime in his 20s, married, and eventually gained fame for his

By |2016-10-21T15:28:59-05:00February 18th, 2012|Song of the Day|Comments Off on Song of the Day: Mississippi River Blues by Big Bill Broonzy
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Catfish Blues: A Genealogy

Some songs, for whatever reason, catch on quickly and stick around long enough to spawn generations of copies. Catfish Blues is one of those songs; with at least 200 recorded versions (according to the Encyclopedia of the Blues) it has a genealogy that rivals Brigham Young, just with fewer first cousin marriages. My extensive internet

By |2016-10-21T15:29:01-05:00November 16th, 2011|Feature Articles|Comments Off on Catfish Blues: A Genealogy
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