4. RileyB. Kingbetter knownas B. B. King(byitsformernickname"The StreetBluesBoyKing"),
bornSeptember 16, 1925in IttaBena,Mississippi,is a famousbluesguitarist,bluesand jazz
composer.
B.B. KIND
According to RollingStone,King is the greatestguitaristalive,and ranksthirdamong
the "100greatest guitaristsof all time
5. MUDDY WATERS
McKinleyMorganfield(April4, 1915- April 30, 1983),betterknownas Muddy
Waters,was an AmericanbluesmusiciangenerallyconsideredtheFatherof
ChicagoBlues.
Born in Rolling Fork,Mississippi.It wasrecordedfor the firsttime on a plantation
in theMississippiDeltaby AlanLomaxfor the Libraryof Congressin 1940.He
later movedto Chicago,Illinois,wherehe changedhis acousticguitar to electric
guitar,becoming increasinglypopular with black musiciansof the time
6. RobertJohnson bornRobertLeroyJohnson (May8, 1911 - August 16,1938) wasa singer,songwriterand
guitaristof bluesknown as "The King of the Delta blues." His recordingsfrom1936to 1937showa
remarkable combination of singing,guitar skillsand talent in compositionthat influencedgenerationsof
musicians,despite onlyhaving left a recordof 29 songs.
is consideredthe"Grandfatherof Rockand Roll"."The mostimportant bluesmusician who ever
lived".He heldthe 5 th positionin the listof "100greatest guitaristsof all time"by Rolling Stone.He
was inducted intothe Hall of Rockand Rollfame in 1986 in the categoryof "EarlyInfluence" (early
Influences).
7. Memphis Slim(September 3, 1915– February24,1988) wasan Americanbluespianist,singer,and
composer.He leda seriesof bandsthat,reflectingthe popularappeal of jumpblues,includedsaxophones,
bass,drums,and piano.A song he first cutin 1947,"EveryDay I HavetheBlues",has become a blues
standard,recordedby manyotherartists.He madeover 500recordings.
8. HubertSumlin (bornNovember16, 1931)is an AmericanChicagobluesand electricblues
guitaristand singer,bestknownfor his celebratedwork,from1955,as guitaristin Howlin'
Wolf'sband.
9. KokoTaylor (September28, 1928 - June3, 2009) wasa bluessinger fromthe United
States known as "Queenof the Blues.Forroughand powerful voice and style based
on traditionalblues.
10. BESSIE SMITH
Bessie Smith (Chattanooga,Tennessee,April15,1894 - Clarksdale,Mississippi, September26,
1937),known as the "Empressof the Blues" wasthemostpopular bluessingerof the '20sand
'30sand mostinfluentialthe singersthat followed.
Bessie Smith combinedan unusualsense of rhythmwith extreme sensitivityto the tone and
dictionright,a featurethat allowedhimto reach a wide audience.Hiswayof articulating notes
and words,using a varietyof rhythmicand tonalapproaches,providesan elegant
interpretationsand some semblance of improvisation
