Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1893 or 1903 – 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. |
Birth and Death Data: Born June 26, 1893 (Scott County), Died August 14, 1958 (Chicago)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1953
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, composer, lyricist, songwriter, speaker
Notes: Often billed as Big Bill; composer credits as Williard Broonzy.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 101-125 of 251 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-059497 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | Old Taylor | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano, bass cano, and extra male vocal | vocalist | |
Victor | BS-064002 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | Whiskey store blues | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and bass cano | vocalist | |
Victor | BS-064130 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | Why don't you do it right? | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064131 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | Love me | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064132 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | I'm going to copyright your kisses | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064133 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | What's the matter with love? | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064134 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | Country boy blues | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | composer, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064135 | 10-in. | 4/23/1941 | How can I go on | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064477 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | Life is just a book | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064478 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | I'm not the lad | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064479 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | My feet jumped salty | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064480 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | Flying crow blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064481 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | Levee camp blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064482 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | I'm feeling low down | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064483 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | Brown and yellow woman blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064484 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | She belongs to the devil | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064727 | 10-in. | 7/23/1941 | Hello babe | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064728 | 10-in. | 7/23/1941 | If I didn't love you | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064729 | 10-in. | 7/23/1941 | Let's be friends | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar, composer | |
Victor | BS-064730 | 10-in. | 7/23/1941 | Because I love my daddy so | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064731 | 10-in. | 7/23/1941 | I'm going to start a racket | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064732 | 10-in. | 7/23/1941 | You're just full of jive | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064737 | 10-in. | 7/24/1941 | Riley Springs blues | Jazz Gillum | Male vocal solo, with washtub band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064738 | 10-in. | 7/24/1941 | That's what worries me | Jazz Gillum | Male vocal solo, with washtub band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-064739 | 10-in. | 7/24/1941 | I got somebody else | Jazz Gillum | Male vocal solo, with washtub band | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Broonzy, Big Bill," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/108656.
Broonzy, Big Bill. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/108656.
"Broonzy, Big Bill." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Big Bill Broonzy
Discogs: Big Bill Broonzy
Allmusic: Big Bill Broonzy
Grove: Big Bill Broonzy
IMDb: Big Bill Broonzy
Britannica: Big Bill Broonzy
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Broonzy, Big Bill, 1893-1958 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no88003463
Wikidata: Big Bill Broonzy - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q449239
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/10032630
MusicBrainz: Big Bill Broonzy - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/05bc49f8-3108-44c8-82b9-ac3254896a69
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.