It’s officially spring, which is always a relief in Chicago, but the threat of World War III, the stubborn persistence of the pandemic, and the new flood of horrifying Republican anti-trans legislation more than justify continuing the Winter Blues series for a few more entries. No underrecognized Chicago blues artist deserves a spot in the […]
Tag: Big Bill Broonzy
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Lazy Bill Lucas came into his own as a bandleader in his last decade
Snowstorms, cold snaps, the most contagious wave of COVID-19 yet—it’s clearly time for the Secret History of Chicago Music to begin its yearly Winter Blues series. That’s where I cover the city’s great unheralded blues artists, many of whom gigged constantly but barely had the means to get by, let alone record their music. Many […]
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Rollicking pianist Big Maceo Merriweather was a major architect of Chicago blues
Big Maceo’s heyday as a recording artist lasted just five years, but his output includes some of the most widely covered songs in the history of the genre.
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Billy Boy Arnold helped the blues give birth to rock ’n’ roll
Billy Boy Arnold might be best known as Bo Diddley’s 1950s harmonica player, but he’s 25 years into a comeback of his own.
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Prewar blues great Georgia White died forgotten in Chicago
Singer and pianist Georgia White made dozens of classic records for Decca from 1935 to 1941, then fell off the map in the 1970s.
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Muddy Waters drummer Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith never escaped the sideman shadow
Even when Willie “Big Eyes” Smith won a Grammy at the end of his life, he shared it with pianist Pinetop Perkins.
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Washboard Sam’s playful hokum blues made him a Chicago favorite in the 30s and 40s
Country bluesman Washboard Sam was reputedly Big Bill Broonzy’s half brother, and recorded with Broonzy and Memphis Slim—but the rise of postwar electric blues put an end to his popularity.
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The Secret History of Chicago Music: Jazz Gillum
This popular blues harpist maintained a long partnership with legendary guitarist Big Bill Broonzy, but ended up eclipsed by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf.
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The Secret History of Chicago Music: Ernest “Little Son Joe” Lawlers
Bluesman Ernest “Little Son Joe” Lawlers was overshadowed by his wife, the great Memphis Minnie, but you might remember his “Black Rat Swing.”
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The Secret History of Chicago Music: Arbee Stidham
Despite a big hit in 1948 and a career renaissance in the 60s, bluesman Arbee Stidham is all but forgotten today.
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The Secret History of Chicago Music: Georgia Tom Dorsey
He his biggest hit as raunchy bluesman Georgia Tom Dorsey, but today he’s known as “the father of gospel music.”
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The Secret History of Chicago Music: Doctor Clayton
Doctor Clayton cut just 30 tracks, but they helped plant the seeds for rock ‘n’ roll.