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May 1, 2024 · Whether you like Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, or Etta James, there's no denying that they're some of the most famous blues musicians of all time. This list of blues singers ranks the best blues music artists, singers, and musicians, and has been voted on and ranked by blues fans worldwide.
- Robert Johnson
- Howlin’ Wolf
- Bessie Smith
- B.B. King
- Eric Clapton
- Ray Charles
- Mamie Smith
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe
- MA Rainey
- Muddy Waters
Here’s a rock and roll Hall of Famer with a remarkable music career as a blues singer. Much has been said about the legendary Robert Johnson, but the strangest is his secret pact with the devil. Legend has it that Robert sold his soul to the devil for his immense guitar-playing ability. While we will never know if that’s true, there’s no denying Jo...
Chester Arthur Burnett, commonly known as Howlin’ Wolf, was a talented harmonica playerand one of the greatest blues singers of all time. With his unique voice, he wowed rock and roll audiences, but like many early black singers, Wolf’s journey to the top wasn’t a walk in the park. Born black and poor, Chester was banished from their home at a youn...
Nicknamed the “Empress of Blues,” Bessie Smith was charming and confident. She embodied the black American lifestyle, often releasing songs that highlighted the pain, suffering, and frustrations of minority groups. Bessie quickly became the people’s darling with her distinctive contralto voice and a career beyond stage performances. The blues singe...
B.B. King is a legendary blues singer who’s inspired millions of listeners across different races and ages. He was an incredible entertainer who rose from humble beginnings in the local plantations to achieve international status as a blues legend. B.B. King believed in dedication, which showed throughout a 60-year career of constant reinvention, p...
There are over 100 reasons why Eric Clapton is a musical icon. He is a triple inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He revolutionized popular music. He distinguished himself with a unique soloing style that was easily recognizable. Everybody admires Eric because he was among the best blues and rock guitarists. His best songs include “Layla,...
The “Father of Soul” often infused R&B, gospel, and blues elements in his songs, becoming one of the most influential artists from the 1930s. Ray Charles’ journey began in 1930 in Albany, Georgia, born to a sharecropping mother and a loving father who worked as a handyman and railroad repair man. He lost his vision at a young age and was enrolled i...
Mamie Smith was a multi-talented entertainer who made history as the first artist to record a blues song, a feat she achieved in 1920 with “Crazy Blues.” She was a glamorous entertainer, paving the way for upcoming female singers such as Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, and Ma Rainey. Mamie was already entertaining audiences at ten years old with Four...
Sister Rosetta Tharpe is among the most successful gospel singersfrom the 1930s. Her blend of spiritual songs with secular musicand sensational collaborations influenced generations, becoming one of the most popular female blues singers in the 1930s and 1940s. Rosetta became one of the first female singers to captivate rock and roll and rhythm and ...
Ma Rainey’s blues legacy is unmatched throughout the Midwest, South, and Mexico. The Columbus-born American singerstarted her career in the 1910s, making history as one of the first female singers to infuse blues, country blues, and jazz musical elements into their songs. The American singer might not be one of the pioneers of blues music, but her ...
Muddy Waters personified blues music in his prime. He was an electric performer and a brilliant guitarist with an enormous influence transcending races. Muddy Waters became one of the most influential figures in the post-war blues era, nicknamed the “father of modern Chicago blues.” The American singer enjoyed massive success in the 1950s, placing ...
- Muddy Waters. Muddy Waters is arguably one of the most iconic figures of the Chicago blues scene. He was known for his deep, dominant vocals and his exceptional harmonica capabilities.
- Eric Clapton. Over the past century, Eric Clapton received worldwide fame with his solo projects and his work with his band Cream. Clapton was one of the pioneers of the new blues movement with his virtuosic guitar style and his integration of psych-rock and blues-rock in his music.
- Robert Johnson. Robert Johnson is often referred to as the “pioneer of recorded blues,” though more specifically, the delta blues. He was said to have sold his soul to the devil for the mastery of blues guitar, and many bands and artists, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eric Clapton, have gone on to cover his classic songs.
- Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie Ray Vaughn, a Texas native, began playing guitar a the age of seven. At 16, he dropped out of school and joined his first band, Blackbird, before starting Double Trouble and gigging around the state.
- The Blues Magazine
- Beth Hart: Heart and soul on her sleeve. There’s no match for a vocal with life experience, and when Beth Hart sings, that scorched battle cry evokes a backstory marked by drugs, destitution and mental disorder.
- Lee Brilleaux: The wolf of Canvey Island… Essex boys Dr Feelgood looked like four villains in an episode of The Sweeney, and frontman Brilleaux increased the element of danger with a mean and moody onstage persona, Howlin’ Wolf vocals and a grubby white suit.
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The original soul sister with a one-of-a-kind mezzo soprano voice. Her achievements – one of the first to play electric guitar in church, and to cross over from church to secular – detract from her extraordinary vocal and earthy takes on Rock Me, Didn’t It Rain and This Train.
- Shemekia Copeland: Born to sing the blues. For Copeland, the die was cast early. “I swear,” she laughed of her blues-blooded genealogy, “I was in my mother’s arms on my way home from the hospital when my father [Texas blues icon Johnny Copeland] said, ‘She’s going to be a blues singer.’
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Oct 4, 2023 · The 11 Most Famous Blues Singers. Robert Johnson ; Muddy Waters; B.B. King; Ray Charles ; Freddie King; Buddy Guy; Etta James; Eric Clapton; Stevie Ray Vaughan; Joe Bonamassa ; Gary Clark, Jr. Looking For More Great Music? The Most Famous Blues Singers – Final Thoughts
Mar 19, 2023 · 1. B.B. King. Photo by John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com- Wikimedia. B.B. King was among the most influential blues singers of all time, dubbed “The King of the Blues.” He began his career as a singer and guitarist on a plantation in Indianola, Mississippi, and officially launched his career in Memphis, Tennessee.
