Why did Son House, Skip James, and Bukka White gain new audiences during the 1960s blues revival?

During the 1960s, Son House, Skip James, and Bukka White experienced unexpected career revivals and found larger audiences than they had in their youth due to a resurgent interest in the early Mississippi Delta blues tradition.1

This renewed attention was largely driven by prominent rock artists of the era, including the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and Bob Dylan. These musicians drew inspiration from the legacy of early blues performers when creating their own music, which in turn encouraged their fans to seek out the original recordings and performances of the leading exponents of the Delta tradition.1

As a result, these veteran musicians were able to reach new, broader audiences, often achieving greater commercial success in their final years than they had during their initial recording careers in the early 20th century.1