Blues.. A Thing Of The Past?

The Blues form was first popularized between the years 1911 - 1914 by the black composer W.C. Handy. However, the poetic and musical form of Blues first crystallized around 1910 and gained popularity through the publication of Handy's 'Memphis Blues' (1912) and 'St. Louis Blues' in 1920. The Blues influence on Jazz brought it into the mainstream and made possible the records of Blues singers like Bessie Smith and later in the thirties, Billie Holiday.

Then in the fifties, the emergence of artists like B.B. King, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, and the 'King Of Rock And Roll' Elvis Presley helped carry on the Blues music and even brought it to a whole new level. The influence he had from the Blues early in his career was very evident in hits like "That's Alright Mama" and "Blue Suede Shoes". He made it possible for Blues to convey into a then, very rational America, and burst it in the mainstream media. Fast forward a few years later, artists such as Marvin Gaye, Eric Clapton, and Tracy Chapman continued the long line of great music that is Blues.

And even today, The Blues is still alive and kicking! With artists like John Mayer, John Legend, Robin Thicke, and Alicia Keys keeping the history of Blues music alive and let us all hope that generations to come would continue to do this genre justice by not allowing the Blues to be something of the past.