Big Bill
Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was a blues
singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played
country music to mostly African-American audiences.
Through the 1930s and 1940s he successfully
navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with
working-class African-American 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 during his lifetime, including both adaptations of traditional folk songs and original blues songs.