The Greatest Blues Musicians Ever

The best blues artists ever! In my personal opinion.

Listed by birth

1880's

1883-05-26 - 1946-09-16 Mamie Smith

1886-04-26 - 1939-12-22 "Ma" Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey

1888-01-01 - 1955-09-12 Frank Stokes

1888, January - 1949-12-06 Huddie William "Lead Belly" Ledbetter

1890's

1892-03-08 - 1966-11-02 "Mississippi" John Smith Hurt

1895-04-09 - 1976-01-30 Beau De Glen "Mance" Lipscomb

1898-06-26 - 1958-08-14 William Lee Conley "Big Bill" Broonzy

1900's

1902-06-21 - 1969-10-03 Nehemiah Curtis "Skip" James

1910's

1910-06-10 - 1976-01-10 Chester Arthur "Howlin' Wolf" Burnett

1911-05-08 - 1938-08-16 Robert Leroy Johnson

1911-10-24 - 1986-03-11 Saunders "Sonny Terry" Terrell

1913-04-04 - 1983-04-30 McKinley "Muddy Waters" Morganfield

Born 1915-06-28 David "Honeyboy" Edwards

1915-11-30 - 1996-02-16 Walter "Brownie" McGhee

1917-08-22 - 2001-06-21 John Lee Hooker

1920's

1920-08-08 - 1997-09-18 James "Jimmy" Witherspoon

1925-09-06 - 1976-08-29 Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed

Born 1928-12-30 Ellas Otha "Bo Diddley" McDaniel

1930's

Born 1930-12-31 Odetta

1934-12-09 - 1998-01-15 Amos "Junior Wells" Blakemore

Born 1935-07-01 James Cotton

1939-08-17 - 1997-08-12 Luther Allison

Photos

Born in the 1880's

Mamie Smith

Ma Rainey

Frank Stokes

Lead Belly

Born in the 1890's

Mississippi John Hurt

Mance Lipscomb

Big Bill Broonzy

Born in the 1900's

Skip James

Born in the 1910's

Howlin' Wolf

Robert Johnson

Sonny Terry

Muddy Waters

David Honeyboy Edwards

Brownie McGhee

John Lee Hooker

Born in the 1920's

Jimmy Witherspoon

Jimmy Reed

Bo Diddley

Born in the 1930's

Odetta

Junior Wells

James Cotton

Luther Allison