Who invented blues music?
Blues music was not invented by one particular person in a specific place or time. Instead, blues music developed over the course of the past 150 years or so, with contributions from a number of different people and locales.BeginningsAfter the Civil War, the blues began in the North Mississippi Delta. People were influenced by ballads, church music, rhythm and their African roots. They often used a tactic known as call-and-response, where the singer would sing a line and then respond with his guitar.Early 20th CenturyBetween the years of 1911 and 1914, blues composer W.C. Handy really popularized blues music. Some of his most famous pieces were “Memphis Blues” in 1912 and “St. Louis Blues” in 1914.The ’20s and ’30sMamie Smith recorded the first vocal blues song in 1920. During the ’20s and ’30s, popular blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday arrived on the scene.Mid-Century ArtistsThe 1940s and 1950s saw the advent of famous singers Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee H
