1. List of Delta blues musicians
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The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi
Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north
to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, the Mississippi River on the west to the Yazoo
River on the east. The Mississippi Delta area is famous both for its fertile soil and its
extreme poverty. Guitar and harmonica are the dominant instruments used. The vocal
styles range from introspective and soulful to passionate and fiery. Below is a list of
Delta blues musicians.
Contents: Top · 0–9 · A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
[edit] A
• Cecil Augusta - Born in 1920 recorded a single song for Alan Lomax in 1959.
• Mose Allison - Mose John Allison Jr. was born in 1927 in Tippo, Mississippi, a
cotton town in the Mississippi delta. By the time Mose was in grade school he
was already composing boogie woogie tunes on the piano. His father, a piano
stride player himself, encouraged the young Mose in his playing but also taught
him the meaning of "work on the farm." Mose plowed cotton with a mule and said
once that he is probably one of the few living bluesmen who can honestly make
that claim.
[edit] B
• Tommy Bankhead - (c. 1931 – December 16, 2000) Born in Mississippi,
Bankhead was a Delta blues guitarist and singer who backed musicians like
Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson I, to name just a few. He also
performed sometimes on bass guitar and harmonica, and released a few albums
under his own name.
• John Henry Barbee - (November 14, 1905 – November 3, 1964) Born in Henning,
Tennessee, Barbee was an exponent of early country blues and Delta blues, a fine
guitarist and blues singer. He performed early in his career with Sunnyland Slim.
• Kid Bailey
• Robert Belfour - Born September 11, 1940 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Belfour
is a country blues and Delta blues guitarist and singer and fellow collaborator
with Mose Vinson. Belfour started recording late in his career, beginning in the

2. 1990s. His latest album, called Pushin' My Luck, was released on the Fat Possum
Records label.
• Ishman Bracey - (January 9, 1901 - February 12, 1970) Born in Byram,
Mississippi, Bracey was an early country blues and Delta blues guitarist and
vocalist who recorded many sessions for Paramount Records.
• Willie Brown (musician) (1900–1952) - guitar, vocals, songwriter
• R. L. Burnside - (November 23, 1926 – September 1, 2005) Born in Oxford,
Mississippi, Burnside was an acoustic and electric Delta blues and juke joint blues
guitarist and singer who recorded for a variety of labels, including Fat Possum
Records, Highwater Records and Vogue Records, among others.
[edit] C
• Bo Carter - (March 21, 1893 – September 21, 1964) Born in Bolton, Mississippi,
Carter was one of the first dirty blues musicians with songs like "Banana in Your
Fruit Basket", among several others. A country blues multi-instrumentalist who
performed mostly early Delta blues, Carter played guitar, banjo, string bass,
clarinet and sang. Document Records has an impressive series of issues devoted
to his complete recordings.
• James Cotton - Born July 1, 1935 in Tunica, Mississippi, James Cotton is a
harmonica blues player and singer who got his start performing the Delta blues,
later moving to Chicago and performing Chicago blues. Performing both in
acoustic and electric settings, Cotton has recorded dozens of albums for labels
like Alligator Records and Verve. He also leads his own James Cotton Blues
Band.
• Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup - (August 24, 1905 – March 28, 1974) Born in Forest,
Mississippi, Crudup was a guitarist and singer that began his career performing
Delta blues. He later moved to Chicago, where he continued performing Delta
blues and also Chicago blues, both in acoustic and electric environments. It was
not until the blues revival of the 1960s that Crudup received widespread
appreciation from audiences, performing until his death.
[edit] D
Delta Blind Billy
[edit] E
• David Honeyboy Edwards ˇBorn June 28, 1915 in Shaw, Mississippi, is a
Grammy Award-winning Delta blues guitarist and singer from the American

3. South. As of August, 2009, Honeyboy Edwards, at age 94, and his close friend,
Pinetop Perkins (age 96) are the oldest and arguably, the last Delta blues players
still touring the United States remaining from the last century.
[edit] F
[edit] G
[edit] H
• Jessie Mae Hemphill
• John Lee Hooker - (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) Born in Clarksdale,
Mississippi, Hooker was an acoustic and electric guitarist and singer whom was
perhaps the most well known exponent of the Delta blues sound, though he also
performed Detroit blues. He also recorded countless albums under the names of
Texas Slim, Delta John and, of course, John Lee Hooker.
• Son House
[edit] J
• Elmore James - (January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) Born in Richland,
Mississippi, James was a slide guitarist on acoustic and electric guitars and also a
singer. He performed both Delta blues and Chicago blues, though he is most well
known for the latter. His technique influenced a generation of guitarists that
followed.
• Skip James
• Robert Johnson
• Tommy Johnson
[edit] K
• Junior Kimbrough - (July 28, 1930 – January 17, 1998) Born in Hudsonville,
Mississippi with the first name of David, Kimbrough was a guitarist and singer of
country blues, Delta blues and juke joint blues. He performed both acoustic and
electric guitar, and recorded several albums for the Fat Possum Records label.
• Little Freddie King

4. [edit] L
• Robert Lockwood, Jr.
• Willie Love
• Lead Belly
[edit] M
• Tommy McClennan
• Papa Charlie McCoy
• Mississippi Fred McDowell
[edit] N
• Sonny Boy Nelson
[edit] O
• Jack Owens
[edit] P
• Charley Patton
• Pinetop Perkins - (Born July 7, 1913, as Joseph William Perkins), is an American
Blues musician. Perkins, whose specialty is the piano, currently shares the
distinction with one of his lifelong friends, David Honeyboy Edwards, as being
the eldest living Delta blues performers who continue to tour and perform from
the past century. He has played with some of the most influential blues and rock
and roll performers in American history, and received honors that include the
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction into the Blues Hall of
Fame.
[edit] R
• Doctor Ross - (October 21, 1925 – May 28, 1993) Born in Tunica, Mississippi as
Charles Isaiah Ross, Ross was a harmonica player, guitarist and singer of country
blues, Delta blues, Detroit blues and juke joint blues. He recorded several albums
from the 1960s to 1990s for a variety of labels, including Fortune Records and
JSP Records.
[edit] S

5. • Charles David Sharp AKA The Mississippi Troubadour
• Johnny Shines
• J.D. Short
• Henry "Son" Sims
• Sunnyland Slim
• Houston Stackhouse
[edit] T
• Johnnie "Geechie" Temple
• James Thomas (blues musician)
• Elvie Thomas
[edit] W
• Muddy Waters - (April 4, 1915 – April 30, 1983) Born in Rolling Fork,
Mississippi as McKinley Morganfield, slide guitarist Waters began his career
playing the Delta blues. However, he is most known as a Chicago blues musician.
He is easily one of the more recognizable names in blues music.
• Bukka White
• Geeshie Wiley
• Big Joe Williams
• Sonny Boy Williamson II
• Johnny Woods
[edit] References
• Allmusic
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Delta_blues_musicians"
Categories: Lists of blues musicians | Delta blues musicians
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