American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist (1903–1958)
Big Bill Broonzy
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
(1893-06-26)June 26, 1893 or 1903 Lake Dick, Arkansas or Scott, Mississippi, U.S.
Died
(1958-08-14)August 14, 1958 (55 or 65) Chicago
Genres
Blues
Occupation(s)
Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)
Vocals, guitar
Years active
1927–1958
Labels
Paramount
Bluebird
Vocalion
Folkways
Musical artist
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]
BigBillBroonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1893 or 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career...
Music from Big Pink is the debut studio album by the Band. Released in 1968, it employs a distinctive blend of country, rock, folk, classical, R&B, blues...
pianist Charlie Segar first recorded the song in 1940. Jazz Gillum and BigBillBroonzy followed with recordings in 1940 and 1941, using an arrangement that...
BigBill is a nickname that may refer to: Bill Abstein (1883–1940), American Major League Baseball and amateur soccer player Bill Bachrach (1879–1959)...
the album Common Ground, consisting of their versions of songs by BigBillBroonzy. It was the first studio collaboration of the brothers since the mid-1980s...
blues-orientated style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and BigBillBroonzy. Two versions were recorded, with the second performance used for the...
performers included popular black musicians of the era, such as Tampa Red, BigBillBroonzy and Leroy Carr. An important label of this era was the Chicago-based...
Quartet, James P. Johnson, BigBillBroonzy and Sonny Terry. The idea was a history, starting with spirituals and leading up to big swing bands, involving...
"Too Many Drivers" is a blues song recorded by BigBillBroonzy in 1939. It is performed in an acoustic ensemble-style of early Chicago blues and the lyrics...
their "sweet mamas" or as Morton called them "fifth-class whores". BigBillBroonzy claimed that "when he was about 9 or 10—that is, around 1908, in the...
many recordings to cut costs. The band included musicians such as BigBillBroonzy, Roosevelt Sykes, Washboard Sam, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Many blues...
performing at night. BigBillBroonzy, then one of the leading bluesmen in Chicago, had Muddy open his shows in the rowdy clubs where Broonzy played. This gave...
Presley, "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" by Édith Piaf and "Glory of Love" by BigBillBroonzy. Tracks by Carter Burwell unless otherwise noted. "The Boxer" (Simon...
similarly named ensembles. The groups continued into the 1930s, with BigBillBroonzy joining forces with Georgia Tom as Famous Hokum Boys on records for...
Fahey, Ralph McTell, David Bromberg, Leon Redbone and many others. BigBillBroonzy, hearing Blake in person in the early 1920s, said of his guitar playing...
bottleneck technique influenced other Chicago blues guitarists such as BigBillBroonzy, Robert Nighthawk, Muddy Waters, and Elmore James. In a career spanning...
1977). Electric guitar pioneer who recorded at the age of 16 with BigBillBroonzy. He also recorded with Blind John Davis, Jazz Gillum and other notable...
contemporary recordings of artists such as Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, BigBillBroonzy, Reverend Gary Davis, and Lead Belly. Reissue compilations of 78s had...
Blackwell Blind Blake The Big Bopper Johnny Bond Pat Boone Jimmy Bowen Calvin Boze Jackie Brenston Teresa Brewer BigBillBroonzy Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown...
remaining popular among African Americans: it was recorded by both BigBillBroonzy and Lead Belly after World War II. Abraham Lincoln was an admirer of...
Doyle (Davy Graham's half-sister), who introduced him to the music of BigBillBroonzy, Pete Seeger, Brownie McGhee and Woody Guthrie. He also met and shared...
written by Climax Blues Band except where noted: "Mean Old World" (BigBillBroonzy) – 3:51 "Insurance" (Waldense Hall, Charlie Singleton) – 3:47 "Going...
Global Information