PIONEERS
It’s worth remembering that not all musicians had influence during their lifetimes. For example, Robert Johnson, as iconic as he is now, died in obscurity with his incredible music only making an impact decades after his death when his recordings were rediscovered as the ‘blues revival’ gained traction in Europe.
Of those who did have an influence at the time, William ‘Big Bill’ Broonzy stands tall. Even now, 65 years after his passing, Broonzy continues to influence blues musicians as much as he does folk, country and jazz artists – just as he did way back in the 1920s when his powerful voice and guitar was first unleashed on the record-buying world.
Separating fact from fiction in the story of Broonzy’s life is complicated. Like many early blues artists that found second careers in their later years, he was prone to contradiction when it came to his own life events and his place in the lives of other artists. Was he born, as he claimed, in 1893? Later research suggests maybe 1898 or 1903. Was he born in Mississippi or Arkansas? What is known is that he was one of 17 children. Not all survived. He was one of twins, the other being a sister. His father, Frank Broonzy, also went by the name Bradley. His mother was Mittie Belcher. The musician claimed his father
