Big Bill Broonzy

Big Bill Broonzy (born June 26, 1893 or 1903?, Scott, Mississippi?, U.S.—died August 15, 1958, Chicago, Illinois) was an American blues singer and guitarist who represented a tradition of itinerant folk blues.

Broonzy maintained that he was born William Lee Conley Broonzy in 1893 in Scott, Mississippi, but some sources suggest that he was born Lee Conley Bradley in 1903 near Lake Dick, Arkansas. In any case, Broonzy grew up in Arkansas. After becoming a musician, he often mythologized his early years, such that his recollections conflict with official records and accounts by members of his family. He served in the army (1918–19) and moved to Chicago in 1920, where six years later he made his recording debut as a guitar accompanist to African American blues singers. Later he became a singer himself, and by 1940 he was recognized as one of the best-selling blues recording artists. His New York City concert debut was made at Carnegie Hall in 1938.

In 1951 Broonzy visited Europe and soon became popular across that continent. At the height of his popularity, in 1957, his vocal effectiveness was reduced by a lung operation, and he died the following year of cancer. His funeral was attended by many other figures in Chicago’s cultural milieu, including gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, blues musician Muddy Waters, and author, oral historian, and radio host Studs Terkel, who had interviewed Broonzy for his program and oversaw his last recording session.

Broonzy’s best-known songs include “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” “Key to the Highway,” “W.P.A. Blues,” “All by Myself,” and, perhaps most notably, “Black, Brown and White,” a protest song that unequivocally addresses racism and Jim Crow laws. Many students of the blues have found Broonzy’s work almost as fascinating for its sociological as for its strictly musical content. His autobiography, Big Bill Blues, appeared in 1955. Broonzy was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.