The Blues

The blues is a genre of music that originated in the Southern region of the United States, influenced by Negro spiritual work songs. It comes specifically from African American communities of the South. The components of this genre are field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads. Popular blues artists include Bessie Smith, Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon,  T Bone Walker B.B. King, and Willie Dixon just to name a few.

Sources:

The Norton Anthology of African American Literature (2004)

W.W. Norton & Company

Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Editor), Nellie Y. McKay (Editor), William L. Andrews (Editor), Houston A. Baker Jr.

http://www.carnegiehall.org/honor/history/index