He was a prolific songwriter and adapter of traditional songs. And he began introducing electric instruments into his shows in the early 1940’s.
His music, over a decades-long career, reached and influenced many next-generation Blues musicians.
Photo by commons.wikimedia.org
Big Bill Broonzy Facts
- Actual birth year is a question mark – some historians think that Bill “embellished” his own life’s history a bit.
- Born into a large family (Bill said 21 in all), he learned to play the fiddle as his first instrument.
- Moved to Chicago in the early 1920’s, which makes him one of the earliest of the famous Chicago Bluesmen.
- Commercial success came slowly, he often needed a side job to make ends meet and it wasn’t until the 1950’s that he could fully support himself as a musician.
- His touring of Europe in the 1950’s led him to become one of the earliest influences on the Blues Scene there.
- Known for a wide range of music, he could play everything from Ragtime to Urban Blues (with Folk Songs, Spirituals, and even some Jazz mixed in between).
- A prolific songwriter over the years, many of his songs and adaptations have become Blues classics.
- In 1980, he was posthumously inducted into the very first class of musicians in the Blues Hall of Fame.
“So give me one more kiss darling, just before I go…’Cause when I leave this time, little girl I won’t be back no more, no more.” ~ Big Bill Broonzy (“Key To The Highway”)
My Favorite Big Bill Broonzy Songs
- “Key To The Highway” A great 8-Bar Blues tune recorded several times by Big Bill and so many others. This oldie also features Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry.
- “C.C. Rider” It seems everyone who recorded “C.C.” changed the lyrics up a bit to suit their own taste. But Big Bill’s version dates back to the 1930’s; listen to what those sound like.
- “Midnight Special” This is another tune you may have first heard from another artist, but Bill’s “old-style” version is a reminder that a classic song will always stand the test of time.
If I Could Only Have One Album
My choice would be the 1961 album, ‘The Bill Broonzy Story’.
This is well over 3 hours of music recorded by Bill in 1957, after he had been diagnosed with throat cancer, and a few days before he was to be operated on.
He never recorded again.
This acoustic collection of his music is noteworthy for several reasons. For one, almost all of the 35 songs are interspersed with Bill’s reminiscences (interviewed by Studs Terkel). So the entire album plays like an old friend sitting in your living room, just singing and talking.
Also, Bill knew, full well, how ill he was. That makes his reflections all the more poignant. Especially his references to particular songs outliving their original artists. His own mortality was probably top-of-mind.
And with all of that, the music still delivered.
The record is smooth and elegant in its simplicity. It’s just Bill and his guitar. He built great guitar arrangements around each song. Blues tunes, traditional Folk songs, and even some Spirituals. You see, Bill was bending and breaking genres long before people knew they existed. In all, it’s a great sample of the tunes he performed his whole career.
He was in fine voice too. Very warm. No pretense, all sincerity. Easy to listen to.
Caveat
Now the size of this “record” means you can’t really consume it all in one sitting. Heck, it took Bill 3 days to record it! But you can enjoy small pieces of it at a time. Coming back to it now and then when the mood strikes. Because this record is something to savor.
It’s a true historical record of one of the great Chicago Bluesmen.
Preview ‘The Bill Broonzy Story’
A Small Taste
Here’s a video of Big Bill Broonzy performing “Trouble In Mind.” (Best guess – early 1950’s.)
There isn’t an awful lot of film footage of Bill. But this is a good example of the man and his music. He plays and sings with great ease — his guitar and voice essentially equal instruments.
He might not have been as famous as some of the other Chicago Bluesmen, but Big Bill Broonzy was just as important.
Thanks for reading!
Jon Beres
I’m one part Blues Fan and one part Digital Native (with a dash of Curmudgeon.) I’m also the publisher of AlltheWayBlue.com. If you love the Blues, I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine - cheers!
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