Blues musicians are musical artists who are primarily recognized as writing, performing, and recording blues music. They come from different eras and include styles such as ragtime-vaudeville, Delta and country blues, and urban styles from Chicago and the West Coast. In the last several decades, blues music has developed a less regional character and has been influenced by rhythm and blues, rock, and other popular music.

Pre-1940 blues

+ Name Birthyear Deathyear Origin Primary style 1904 1994 Ohio Country blues 1900 1954 Texas Country blues Unknown Alabama Classic female blues 1907 1949 Illinois Boogie woogie 1900 1974 South Carolina Piedmont blues 1901* 1968 Georgia Acoustic blues Barbecue Bob 1902 1931 Georgia Acoustic blues 1905 1960s Alabama Piedmont blues 1907 1960 Pennsylvania Vaudeville blues Black Ace 1905 1972 Texas Country blues 1903 1962 North Carolina Urban blues 1896 1934 Florida Piedmont blues 1897 1948 Mississippi Classic female blues 1909 1990 South Carolina Country blues 1909 1947 Tennessee Country blues 1893* 1958 Mississippi Urban blues 1899 Unknown New York Classic female blues 1900 1952 Mississippi Delta blues Bumble Bee Slim 1905 1968 Georgia Urban blues 1883* 1979 Mississippi Jug band 1905 1935 Tennessee Urban blues 1898 1947 Georgia Country blues 1887 1949 Louisiana Country blues 1893 1987 North Carolina Country blues 1911 1976 North Carolina Piedmont blues 1896* 1967 Georgia Vaudeville blues 1906 1975 Kentucky St. Louis blues 1896 1972 South Carolina Piedmont blues 1911* 1963 Mississippi St. Louis blues 1889 1963 South Carolina Urban blues 1899 1993 Georgia Urban blues 1911* 1960* Tennessee Memphis blues 1907 1969 Texas Classic female blues 1899* 1977 Tennessee Country blues 1898 1981 Louisiana Classic female blues 1907* 1941 North Carolina Piedmont blues 1896 1976 Georgia Piedmont blues 1904* 1966 Mississippi Urban blues 1905 1976 Mississippi Delta blues 1893 1970 Alabama Classic female blues 1919* 1954 Mississippi Urban blues 1907 1974 Mississippi Country blues 1902 1973 Mississippi Delta blues 1897* 1970 Georgia Classic female blues 1898 1947 Tennessee Classic female blues 1909 Unknown Missouri Classic female blues 1895 1925 Louisiana Classic female blues 1902 1988 Mississippi Delta blues 1888 1966 Georgia Country blues 1895 1984 Tennessee Classic female blues 1894* 1966 Mississippi Country blues 1890* 1937* Mississippi Country blues 1890* 1950* Louisiana Country blues 1902 1969 Mississippi Delta blues 1893 1929 Texas Country blues 1897 1945 Texas Gospel blues 1903 1988 Missouri Classic female blues 1899 1970 Louisiana Urban blues 1898 1983 Mississippi Classic female blues 1911 1938 Mississippi Delta blues 1896 1956 Mississippi Delta blues 1899 1981 Texas Country blues 1893 Unknown Arkansas Country blues Lead Belly 1889 1949 Louisiana Country blues 1893* 1981 Mississippi Country blues 1905 1964 Illinois Boogie woogie 1900 1963 Georgia Country blues 1895 1976 Texas Country blues 1890 1932 Louisiana Classic female blues 1915 2006 Arkansas Delta blues 1887* 1957 Tennessee Boogie woogie 1910 1931 Georgia Country blues 1884 1955 Kentucky Vaudeville blues 1883 Unknown U.S. Country blues 1905 1950 Mississippi Country blues 1909 1959 Mississippi Delta blues 1904 1972 Tennessee Hill country blues 1895 1966 Illinois Country blues 1905 Unknown Florida Piedmont blues 1916 2006 Oklahoma Blues ; 1901* 1959 Georgia Country blues Memphis Minnie 1897 1973 Louisiana Memphis blues Mississippi Sheiks Mississippi Country blues 1906 1985 Louisiana Barrelhouse blues 1899 1989 Texas Boogie woogie 1914 1984 Georgia Piedmont blues 1901 1965 Tennessee Country blues 1903 1977 Tennessee Urban blues 1891 1934 Mississippi Delta blues Piano Red 1911 1985 Georgia Boogie woogie 1916 1964 Texas Country blues 1905 1964 Alabama Urban blues 1886* 1939 Georgia Classic female blues Red Nelson 1907 1970 Mississippi Urban blues 1972 Alabama Boogie woogie 1903 1972 Oklahoma Urban blues 1896 1956 Mississippi Memphis blues 1901 1972 Virginia Piedmont blues 1908 1985 Texas Boogie woogie 1902 1962 Mississippi Delta blues 1890 1958 Mississippi Delta blues 1894 1937 Tennessee Classic female blues 1894* 1935 South Carolina Classic female blues 1885* 1940* U.S. Country blues 1883 1946 Ohio Vaudeville blues 1910 1935 Mississippi Boogie woogie Speckled Red 1892 1973 Louisiana Boogie woogie 1906 1976 Texas Vaudeville blues 1888* 1955 Tennessee Memphis blues 1913 1984 Arkansas Urban blues Tampa Red 1904 1981 Georgia Urban blues 1906 1968 Mississippi Delta blues 1874 1930* Texas Country blues Unknown Unknown Louisiana Country blues 1909 2006 Mississippi St. Louis blues ; 1910 1977 North Carolina Piedmont blues 1933 Texas Country blues 1901 1975 Mississippi Country blues 1898 1986 Arkansas Classic female blues Washboard Sam 1910 1966 Arkansas Country blues 1896 1977 Pennsylvania Urban blues 1906 1962 Georgia Country blues 1897* 1960 Kentucky Country blues 1909 Unknown Arkansas Country blues 1902 1941 Tennessee St. Louis blues 1909 1977 Mississippi Delta blues 1908 1969 South Carolina Country blues 1903 1982 Mississippi Delta blues 1914 1948 Tennessee Urban blues 1910* 1957 Alabama Piedmont blues 1903 1955 Louisiana Urban blues An asterisk (*) denotes that other sources give different dates, origin, or style.

1940–1979 blues

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