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The first slave ships came to the US. The slaves brought over that worked in the fields started the field calls. These field calls would pioneer the call and response style that blues music uses. -
The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves. This allowed African American people to start developing Blues music with their newfound freedom. -
W.C. Handy, The Father of Blues, published "Memphis Blues" the first ever Blues sheet music composition . This allowed blues music and instrumentals to spread. -
W.C. Handy released the song "St. Louis Blues". This song went on to be one of the most famous songs even written. -
Mamie Smith recorded "Crazy Blues". This was the first Blues recording to sell over a million copies. -
Race Records, records that were marketed to African-American audiences, went into production. This helped popularize blues music. -
"Downhearted Blues", recorded by Bessie Smith came out. This record went on to become super popular, and earned Bessie Smith the title of The Empress of Blues. -
Mississippi John Hurt recorded many songs. He used a gentler style of Delta Blues. -
The crash of Wall Street marked the start of the great depression. The depression made the recording industry take a big hit. This halted the careers of many blues artists and made many record labels shut down. -
Son House recorded songs for Paramount record label. He sang in a Delta Blues style. He used powerful vocals and slide guitar for his unique sound. He influenced Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. -
Alan Lomax recorded "Muddy Waters" for the library of Congress. This preserved the history of Blues for history. He then went on to be the pioneer of Chicago electric blues. -
B.B. King recorded "Three O'Clock Blues". It became the #1 hit on the Billboard RB chart. -
American Folk and Blues Festival opened up in Europe. This festival included legends like Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon
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Bruce Iglauer started up Alligator Records. This label became the most important Blues labels in modern history. The label supported many artists in Chicago.
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The Blues Foundation created the Blues Hall of Fame. This created a space to honor and immortalize the pioneers of blues music. The hall of Fame preserves the legacy of blues to this day.