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Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Broonzy with a Gibson L-7 guitar in 1951 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lee Conley Bradley |
| Also known as | Willie Broonzy, Big Bill Broonzy, Big Bill Broomsley |
| Born | June 26, 1893 or 1903 Lake Dick, Arkansas or Scott, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 1958 (55 or 65) Chicago |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1927–1958 |
| Labels | |
Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1893[1][2] or 1903[3][4] – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African-American audiences. In the 1930s and 1940s, he navigated a change in style to a more urban blues sound popular with working-class black audiences. In the 1950s, a return to his traditional folk-blues roots made him one of the leading figures of the emerging American folk music revival and an international star. His long and varied career marks him as one of the key figures in the development of blues music in the 20th century.
Broonzy copyrighted more than 300 songs, including adaptations of traditional folk songs and original blues songs. As a blues composer, he was unique in writing songs that reflected his rural-to-urban experiences.[5]
- ^ Perone 2019, p. 24.
- ^ James 1996, p. 31.
- ^ Eagle & LeBlanc 2013, p. 156.
- ^ Riesman 2011, p. 7.
- ^ Barlow 1989, pp. 301–303.
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