The best blues performers of all times. The most famous blues performers Blues best

Blues singers can be called freedom singers. In their songs and in their music they sing about life itself, without embellishment, but at the same time with hope for brighter times. Here are the best blues performers of all time, according to the JazzPeople portal.

Top Blues Artists

They say the blues is when to a good person Badly. We have collected the most famous blues singers, whose work reflects the structure of this difficult world.

B.B. King

King called all his guitars "Lucille". There is a story associated with this name from concert activities. One day during a performance, two men started a fight and knocked over a kerosene stove. This caused a fire, all the musicians hastily left the establishment, but B.B. King, risking himself, returned for the guitar.

Later, having learned that the cause of the fight was a woman named Lucille, he named his guitar that way as a sign that no woman was worth such nonsense.

For more than 20 years, King struggled with diabetes, which caused his death at the age of 89 on May 14, 2015.

Robert Leroy Johnson

- a bright but quickly passing star in the world of blues music - was born on May 8, 1911. IN teenage years he met famous blues musicians Sun House and Willie Brown and decided to start playing blues professionally.

Several months of training with the team only resulted in the guy remaining a good amateur. Then Robert swore that he would play great and disappeared for several months. When he reappeared, his level of play became noticeably higher. Johnson himself said that he contacted the devil. The legend of a musician who sold his soul for the ability to play the blues has spread throughout the world.

Robert Leroy Johnson died at age 28 on August 16, 1938. He was allegedly poisoned by his mistress's husband. His family had no money, so he was buried in the municipal cemetery. Johnson's legacy is difficult to count - although he recorded very little himself, his songs were often performed by many world-famous stars (Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Bob Dylan).

Muddy Waters

- founder of the Chicago school - born on April 4, 1913 in the small town of Rolling Fork. As a child, he learned to play the harmonica, and in his teens he mastered the guitar.

Simple acoustic guitar didn't really suit Muddy. He really started playing only at the moment when he switched to an electric guitar. The powerful rumble and abrupt voice glorified the aspiring singer and performer. In essence, Muddy Waters' work straddles the line between blues and rock and roll. The musician died on April 30, 1983.

Gary Moore

- famous Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter - born April 4, 1952. In his career, he experimented a lot with various types of music, but still gave preference to the blues.

In one of his interviews, Moore admitted that he likes the dialogue that arises between vocals and guitar in blues. This opens up a wide field for experimentation.

Interestingly, although Gary Moore was left-handed, he learned to play the guitar as a right-hander from childhood and performed this way throughout his life until his death on February 6, 2011.

Eric Clapton

- one of the most influential figures British rock– born March 30, 1945. The only musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times - twice as part of bands and once as a solo artist. Clapton played various genres, but always gravitated towards the blues, which made his playing recognizable and characteristic.

Sonny Boy Williamson I and II

Sonny Boy Williamson, American blues harmonica player and singer, was born on December 5, 1912.

There are two famous Sonny Boy Williamsons in the world. The fact is that Sonny Boy Williamson II took the pseudonym of the same name in honor of his idol, Sonny Boy Williamson I. The fame of the second Sonya greatly eclipsed the legacy of the first, although it was he who was an innovator in his field.

Sonny Boy was one of the most famous and original harmonica players. He is distinguished by a special style of performance: simple, melodic, smooth. The lyrics of his songs are subtle and lyrical.

Williamson II valued personal comfort rather than fame, so he sometimes allowed himself to disappear for a couple of months to rest, and then reappear on stage. Sonny Boy Williamson II passed away on May 25, 1965.

Blues is when a good person feels bad.

Rejection and loneliness, crying and melancholy, the bitterness of life, seasoned with burning passion, from which the heart is excited - this is the blues. This is not just music, this is real, true magic.

Overflowing with good sadness Bright Side collected two dozen legendary blues compositions that have stood the test of time. Naturally, we could not cover the entire vast layer of this divine music, so we traditionally suggest sharing in the comments those compositions that do not leave you indifferent.

Canned Heat - On The Road Again

Blues enthusiasts and collectors have revived Canned Heat in their work huge amount forgotten blues classics of the 1920s and 30s. The group achieved its greatest fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Well, their most famous song was On The Road Again.

Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man

The mysterious expression “hoochie coochie man” is known to everyone who loves the blues even a little, because this is the name of a song considered a classic of the genre. The "Hoochie coochie" was the name of a sexy female dance that captivated audiences during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. But the expression “hoochie coochie man” came into use only after 1954, when Muddy Waters recorded a Willie Dixon song that instantly became popular.

John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom

Boom Boom was released as a single in 1961. By that time, Lee Hooker had been playing at the Apex Bar in Detroit for quite some time and was constantly late for work. When he appeared, the bartender Willa would say, “Boom boom, you’re late again.” And so every evening. One day Lee Hooker thought that this “boom boom” might make a good song. And so it happened.

Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You

Songwriter Screamin Jay Hawkins originally intended to record I Put A Spell On You in the style of a blues love ballad. However, according to Hawkins, “the producer got the whole band drunk and we recorded this fantastic version. I don't even remember the recording process. Before that I was just a regular blues singer, Jay Hawkins. Then I realized I could make more destructive songs and scream to death.”

In this collection we have included the most sensual version of this song performed by the magnificent Nina Simone.

Elmore James - Dust My Broom

Written by Robert Johnson, Dust My Broom became a blues standard after it was performed by Elmore James. Subsequently, it was covered more than once by other performers, but, in our opinion, the best version You could call it Elmore James' version.

Howlin Wolf - Smokestack Lightnin'

Another blues standard. Wolf's howl can make you empathize with the author, even if you don't understand the language in which he sings. Incomparable.

Eric Clapton - Layla

Eric Clapton dedicated this song to Pattie Boyd, his wife George Harrison ( The Beatles), with whom they secretly met. Layla is an incredibly romantic and touching song about a man hopelessly in love with a woman who also loves him, but remains unavailable.

B.B. King - Three O'Clock Blues

It was this song that made Riley B. King, a native of the cotton plantations, famous. This ordinary story in the spirit: “I woke up early. Where did my woman go? A true classic performed by the King of the Blues.

Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - Messin' With The Kid

A blues standard performed by Junior Wells and virtuoso guitarist Buddy Guy. It's simply impossible to sit still with this 12-bar blues.

Janis Joplin - Kozmic Blues

As Eric Clapton said, “The blues is the song of a man who has no woman or whose woman has left him.” In the case of Janis Joplin, the blues turned into a real frantic emotional striptease of a hopelessly in love woman. Her blues is not just a song with repetitive vocal lines. These are constantly changing emotional experiences, when plaintive pleas move from quiet sobs to a hoarse desperate cry.

Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog

Thornton was considered one of the coolest performers of her time. Although Big Mama achieved fame with only one hit, Hound Dog, it remained at the top of Billboard magazine's rhythm and blues charts for seven weeks in 1953 and sold nearly two million copies in total.

Robert Johnson - Crossroad Blues

For a long time, Johnson tried to master the blues guitar in order to perform with his comrades. However, this art was extremely difficult for him. For some time he parted with his friends and disappeared, and when he appeared in 1931, the level of his skill increased many times over. On this occasion, Johnson told a story that there was a certain magical crossroads at which he made a deal with the devil in exchange for the ability to play the blues. Maybe the damn cool song Crossroad Blues is about this particular crossroads?

Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues

The most famous song in Russia by Gary Moore. According to the musician himself, it was recorded in the studio the first time from start to finish. And we can safely say that even those who do not understand the blues at all know it.

Tom Waits - Blue Valentine

Waits has a distinctive, husky voice, described by critic Daniel Dutchhols as: "It's like it's been soaked in a barrel of bourbon, like it's been left in a smokehouse for months and then ridden over when it's taken out." His lyrical songs are stories told most often in the first person, with grotesque images of seedy places and characters battered by life. An example of such a song is Blue Valentine.

Steve Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood

Another blues standard. The 12-bar blues performed by a virtuoso guitarist touches the soul and gives you goosebumps.

Ruth Brown - I Don't Know

Song from the wonderful film "Moonlight Tariff". She plays at the very moment when main character, nervous before the meeting, lights candles and pours wine into glasses. Ruth Brown's soulful voice is simply captivating.

Harpo Slim - I'm A King Bee

A song with simple lyrics, written in best traditions blues, helped Slim become famous overnight. The song was covered many times by different musicians, but no one did it better than Slim. After the Rolling Stones covered the song, Mick Jagger himself said: “What’s the point of hearing I’m A King Bee performed by us when Harpo Slim sings it best?”

Willie Dixon - Back Door Man

In the American South, the title "back door man" referred to a man who dated a married woman and left through the back door before the husband returned home. It is about such a guy that the magnificent Willie Dixon’s song “Back Door Man”, which became a classic of Chicago blues.

Little Walter - My Baby

With his revolutionary harmonica technique, Little Walter ranks alongside blues masters such as Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix. He is considered the performer who set the standard for blues harmonica playing. Written for Walter Willie Dixon, My Baby showcases his superb acting and style.

Where played: Jefferson Airplaine, Jefferson Starship, Starship, The Great Society

Genres: classic rock, blues rock

What's cool: Grace Slick is the lead singer of the legendary psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane. Possessing not only a bewitching voice, but also an attractive appearance (the eyes alone are worth it!), she became a real sex symbol of the 1960s, and the songs White Rabbit and Somebody to Love composed by her became rock classics. The powerful voice of Grace Slick opened up new dimensions in female rock and brought her to 20th place in the list of “One Hundred greatest women rock and roll." Unfortunately, her penchant for shocking behavior and addiction to alcohol and drugs significantly blurred her career. However, after leaving the world of music in 1990, Grace found herself in fine arts. A significant part of it artistic creativity make up portraits of colleagues on the rock scene.

Quote: I sang then with such strength and anger that women of that time were afraid to show. I realized for myself that a woman can ignore stereotypes and do whatever she wants.

Mariska Veres

Where played:: Shocking Blue, solo career

Genres: rhythm and blues, classic rock

What's cool: Mariska Veres is the owner of one of the most powerful and beautiful voices in rock music, a stunning beauty and... an incredibly shy and vulnerable girl. Considering the morals of the late 60s and early 70s, one can imagine how difficult it was for her. However, be that as it may, Shocking Blue reached the pinnacle of musical fame and immortalized themselves and their work largely thanks to Mariska. And even pets in every home know their ubiquitous Venus almost by heart.

Quote: Before, I was just a painted doll; no one could get close to me. Now I'm more open to people.

Janis Joplin

Where played: Big Brother & The Holding Company, Kozmic Blues Band, Full Tilt Boogie Band

Genres: blues rock

What's cool: One of the members of the notorious Club 27. During her short life, Janis Joplin managed to release only four albums, one of which was released after her death, but this does not prevent critics around the world from considering her the best white blues singer and one of the greatest vocalists in the history of rock. -music. Joplin received several major awards, but, again, posthumously - in 1995 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2005 she “received” a Grammy for outstanding achievements, and in 2013 a star was unveiled in her honor on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her creative activity began in 1961, largely under the influence of the then popular beatniks, in whose company the young girl spent the summer of 1960. Joplin was considered unusual, if not strange - she came to classes at the university in Levi's jeans, walked barefoot and carried a zither with her everywhere in case she wanted to sing. The turning point Joplin's career included a performance as part of Big Brother & The Holding Company at the Montreuil festival. Then the group even performed twice, because director Pennebaker wanted to record them on film. We can talk a lot about Janice’s achievements: despite her short life, she accomplished a lot. Just take part in the cult Woodstock festival in 1969 on the same stage with The Who and Hendrix. Disputes about the cause of the singer’s death are still ongoing. Some say that drug addiction is to blame, others insist that it was suicide. One way or another, many agree that spontaneous and premature death has become very bad joke fate, because at that moment Joplin’s life began to improve - she was getting married, and had not used heroin for a long time. But she still wasn’t happy.

Quote: I make love to twenty-five thousand people in a stadium and then go home alone.

Annie Haslam

Where played: Renaissance, solo career

Genres: progressive rock, classic rock

What's cool: All polls like “Best Prog Vocalist” quickly lose their intrigue if Annie is on the list. And it is hardly surprising for you if you have heard at least one song sung to her. Haslam’s pure, soaring to some transcendental heights, seemingly fragile, but at the same time quite powerful five-octave vocals brought her and Renaissance crowds of fans in the 70s. Next - successful solo career singer and artist, a fortunately victorious fight against cancer and periodic reunions of the group for live performances.

Quote: I always wondered: we were so unique and still are, so shouldn't we have done more than we did? At least we should have videotaped all our shows. We had to write down as much as possible. We did practically nothing.

Blues, vast layer musical culture, appeared more than a hundred years ago. Its origins should be sought on the North American continent. The style of blues music was initially determined by jazz trends, and further development was completely independent.

Blues is divided into two main styles: "Chicago" and "Mississippi Delta". In addition, blues music has six directions in composition structure:

• spirituals - a slow, thoughtful melody, full of hopeless sadness;
• gospel (gospel) - church hymns, usually Christmas;
• soul - characterized by a restrained rhythm and rich accompaniment of wind instruments, mainly saxophones and trumpets;
• swing - a varied rhythmic pattern that can change shape over the course of one melody;
• boogie-woogie - very rhythmic, expressive music, usually performed on piano or guitar;
• rhythm and blues (R&B) - usually lush, syncopated compositions with variations and rich arrangements.

Blues singers are mostly professional musicians with concert experience. And what is characteristic is that among them you will not find academically trained ones; each one masters two or three instruments and has a well-trained voice.

Patriarch of the Blues

Music in any form is a responsible matter. Therefore, as a rule, blues performers devote themselves to their favorite work without reserve. A good example of this is the recently deceased patriarch of blues music, B.B. King, a legend in his own way. Blues performers of any level could look up to him. 90 year old musician last day did not let go of the guitar. His business card There was a song called The Thrill Is Gone, which he performed at every concert. B.B. King was one of the few blues musicians who gravitated towards symphonic instruments. In the composition The Thrill Is Gone, the background is created by a cello, then at the right moment, “with the permission” of the guitar, violins enter, leading their part, organically intertwining with the solo instrument.

Vocals and accompaniment

There are quite a lot of interesting performers in the blues. Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and Anna King, Albert Collins and the unrivaled Wilson Pickett. One of the founders of the blues Ray Charles and his follower Rufus Thomas. Grand Master harmonica Curry Bell and vocal virtuoso Robert Gray. You can't list them all. Some blues artists leave and new ones take their place. Talented singers and there have always been musicians and, hopefully, there will be musicians.

The most famous blues performers

Among the most popular singers and guitarists can be distinguished as follows:

• Howlin' Wolf;
• Albert King;
• Buddy Guy;
• Bo Diddley;
• Sun Seals;
• James Brown;
• Jimmy Reed;
• Kenny Neal;
• Luther Ellison;
• Muddy Waters;
• Otis Rush;
• Sam Cooke;
• Willie Dixon.