The

Piedmont blues Piedmont blues (also known as East Coast, or Southeastern blues) refers primarily to a guitar style, which is characterized by a fingerpicking approach in which a regular, alternating thumb bass string rhythmic pattern supports a syncopated melo ...

(also known as Piedmont fingerstyle) is a type of

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

music, characterized by a unique fingerpicking method on the guitar in which a regular, alternating-thumb

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

pattern supports a melody using the

treble Treble may refer to: In music: *Treble (sound), tones of high frequency or range, the counterpart of bass *Treble voice, a choirboy or choirgirl singing in the soprano range *Treble (musical group), a three-piece girl group from the Netherlands *T ...

strings. The result is comparable in sound to ragtime or stride piano styles. The Piedmont blues originated in an area including and extending beyond the Piedmont plateau of the eastern United States, which stretches from about

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, to Atlanta, Georgia. Piedmont blues musicians come from this area and also from Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida. Piedmont blues was popular in the early 20th century. Below is a list of Piedmont blues musicians.

A

* Pink Anderson (February 12, 1900 – October 12, 1974). Born in Laurens, South Carolina, Anderson was an early country blues guitarist and singer who performed Piedmont blues. He recorded in the late 1920s with the guitarist and singer Blind Simmie Dooley, from Greenville, South Carolina. Anderson had a long career as a medicine show performer. Interest in him was renewed by blues revivalists in the 1960s, and many of his recordings from that time have been released by

Prestige Records Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

B

* Memphis Willie B. (November 4, 1911 – October 5, 1993). Memphis blues and Piedmont blues guitarist, harmonica player, singer and songwriter. *

Etta Baker Etta Baker (March 31, 1913 – September 23, 2006) was an American Piedmont blues guitarist and singer from North Carolina. Early life and career She was born Etta Lucille Reid in Caldwell County, North Carolina, of African-American, Native A ...

(March 31, 1913 – September 23, 2006). Born in Caldwell County, North Carolina, Baker was a country blues guitarist,

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

player and singer who performed Piedmont blues. In the 1990s she released two solo albums, one for

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

. In 2004 Music Maker Records released some recordings she made with Taj Mahal in 1956 and 1998. *

Willie Baker Willie Baker was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He recorded eight tracks, playing a twelve-string guitar to back his own strong vocals. All of his recordings took place in January and March 1929 in Richmond, Indiana, ...

(dates unknown). Baker recorded a number of sides, probably eight, in January and March 1929 in

Richmond, Indiana Richmond is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County and is part of the Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 36,812. Situa ...

for

Gennett Records Gennett (pronounced "jennett") was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s. Gennett produced some of the earliest recordings by Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, and H ...

. He played a twelve-string guitar in a frailing style to back his strong vocals. * Barbecue Bob (September 11, 1902 – October 21, 1931). Guitarist and singer. * Ed Bell (May 1905 – 1960, 1965 or 1966). Born in Fort Deposit, Alabama, Bell released work under his own name and as Sluefoot Joe and Barefoot Bill from Alabama. * Scrapper Blackwell (February 21, 1903 – October 27, 1962). Born Francis Hillman Blackwell in Syracuse,

Darlington County, South Carolina Darlington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 62,905. Its county seat is Darlington. Hartsville is the largest city in the county. Darlington County is home to the Darlington Rac ...

, he performed acoustic Piedmont blues and was an early exponent of Chicago blues. He worked closely with the pianist Leroy Carr also backed the singer Black Bottom McPhail.

Document Records Document Records is an independent record label, founded in Austria and now based in Scotland, that specializes in reissuing vintage blues and jazz. The company has been recognised by The Blues Foundation, being honoured with a Keeping the ...

has issued most of his work in three volumes. * Blind Blake (1896 – December 1, 1934). Born in

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

, Blake was a guitarist and singer who played in a range of musical styles. He performed early ragtime on guitar, Piedmont blues, country blues,

Delta blues Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of the s ...

and Chicago blues. A musician of great influence, he recorded frequently for

Paramount Records Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Early years Paramount Records was formed in 19 ...

. *

Gabriel Brown Gabriel Brown (1910–1972) was an American Piedmont blues singer and guitarist. Biography Brown was born in Florida, probably in Gadsden County, and graduated from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1934, he performed at the f ...

(1910 – 1972). Born in Florida, Brown was a country blues guitarist and singer. He was discovered in the 1930s by the folk music researchers Zora Neale Hurston and Alan Lomax and had a career lasting several decades, mainly in New York City, recording for Joe Davis. * Precious Bryant (January 4, 1942 – January 12, 2013). Born in Talbot County, Georgia, Bryant was recorded by the music historian George Mitchell in 1969, in one of his field recordings of folk blues. She subsequently appeared at blues festivals and, late in life, recorded two albums for Terminus Records.

C

Carolina Slim Edward P. Harris (August 22, 1923 – October 22, 1953), known as Carolina Slim, was an American Piedmont blues guitarist and singer. His best-known records are "Black Cat Trail" and "I'll Never Walk in Your Door". He used various pseudonyms dur ...

(Edward P. Harris, August 22, 1923 – October 22, 1953). Guitarist and singer. * Cephas & Wiggins (John Cephas, September 4, 1930 – March 4, 2009; and Phil Wiggins, born May 8, 1954). Guitarist and harmonica player, respectively, who performed as a duo. *

Virgil Childers Virgil Childers (c. 1901 – December 10, 1939) was an American blues musician, who hailed from South Carolina, United States. Biography Childers was born in Blacksburg, South Carolina to parents Pick Childers and Sarah Smith, and resided t ...

(c. 1901 – December 10, 1939) Guitarist and singer, who was recorded in 1938. *

Jaybird Coleman Burl C. "Jaybird" Coleman (May 20, 1896 – January 28, 1950) was an American country blues harmonica player, vocalist, and guitarist. He was a popular musical attraction throughout Alabama and recorded several sides in the late 1920s and early 1 ...

(May 20, 1896 – January 28, 1950). Born in Gainesville, Alabama, Coleman was a country blues harmonica player, guitarist and singer who performed early Piedmont blues and

harmonica blues The Richter-tuned harmonica, or 10-hole harmonica (in Asia) or blues harp (in America), is the most widely known type of harmonica. It is a variety of diatonic harmonica, with ten holes which offer the player 19 notes (10 holes times a draw a ...

, active mostly in the 1930s. *

Elizabeth Cotten Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten ( Nevills; January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American folk and blues musician. She was a self-taught left-handed guitarist who played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down. This po ...

(January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987). Singer, songwriter, and guitarist. *

Floyd Council Floyd Council (September 2, 1911 – May 9, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, mandolin player, and singer. He was a practitioner of the Piedmont blues, which was popular in the southeastern United States in the 1920s and 1930s. He was ...

(September 2, 1911 – May 9, 1976). Guitarist and singer.

D

* Reverend Gary Davis (April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972). Blues and gospel singer and guitarist.

E

Archie Edwards Archie L. Edwards (September 4, 1918 – June 18, 1998) was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, who in a sporadic career spanning several decades worked with Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, and John Jackson. His best-known recordings are ...

(September 4, 1918 – June 18, 1998). Born in Union Hall, Virginia, he released ''Blues 'n Bones'' in 1989.

F

* Turner Foddrell (June 22, 1928 – January 31, 1995). Acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter. * Frank Fotusky. Guitarist and singer. He plays six- and twelve-string acoustic guitar, and regularly performs in the

Greater Portland The Portland metropolitan area is a metro area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered on the principal city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identifies it as the Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro, ...

area. Fotusky plays acoustic blues in the Piedmont style reminiscent of guitarists such as Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Boy Fuller,

John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to: Entertainment Art * John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist * John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter * John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver * John Richardson ...

and Blind Willie McTell. He has performed or appeared with John Jackson,

Paul Geremia Paul Geremia (born April 21, 1944) is an American blues singer and acoustic guitarist. Geremia was born in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. He recorded his first album in 1968, having been significantly influenced by both the rural blue ...

, Steve Mann, Will Scarlett,

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

, Buddy Guy and Chris Hillman, amongst others. *

Rick Franklin Frederick "Rick" Franklin (born March 16, 1952) is an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. With various other musicians, Franklin has released four albums to date and works as a blues musicologist. Life and career Franklin ...

(born March 16, 1952) Guitarist, singer and songwriter. With various other musicians, Franklin has released four albums to date and works as a blues musicologist. * Blind Boy Fuller (July 10, 1907 – February 13, 1941). Guitarist and singer.

H

* Boo Hanks (April 30, 1928 – April 15, 2016) Guitarist and singer, he was billed as the last of the Piedmont blues musicians. Hanks recorded two albums in his lifetime, ''Pickin' Low Cotton'' (2007) and ''Buffalo Junction'' (2012), both released by the Music Maker record label. *

Big Boy Henry Richard Leslie Henry (born May 26, 1921 – December 5, 2004), better known as Big Boy Henry, was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. His most notable recording was "Mr. President", a protest against cuts in social w ...

(May 26, 1921 – December 5, 2004). Guitarist, singer and songwriter. His most notable recording was "Mr. President", a protest against cuts in social welfare undertaken by

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

. It won Henry a W.C. Handy Award in 1983. *

Algia Mae Hinton Algia Mae Hinton (née O'Neal; August 29, 1929 – February 8, 2018) was an American Piedmont blues guitarist and vocalist, based in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. Biography She was the youngest child of Alexander and Ollie ...

(August 29, 1929 – February 8, 2018). Born in

Johnston County, North Carolina Johnston County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 215,999. Its county seat is Smithfield. Johnston County is included in the Raleigh, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...

, Hinton was a guitarist and vocalist. *

George Higgs George Higgs (March 9, 1930 – January 29, 2013) was an American Piedmont blues acoustic guitarist, harmonicist, singer and songwriter. He recorded three albums in his lifetime, although he spent over sixty years performing regularly, mainly ...

(March 9, 1930 – January 29, 2013). Acoustic guitarist, harmonicist and singer. In 2001, Higgs' debut album, ''Tarboro Blues'', was made in collaboration with the Music Maker Relief Foundation. *

John Dee Holeman John Dee Holeman (April 4, 1929April 30, 2021) was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His music includes elements of Texas blues, R&B and African-American string-band music. In his younger days he was also known for ...

(April 4, 1929,

Orange County, North Carolina Orange County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 148,696. Its county seat is Hillsborough. Orange County is included in the Durham–Chapel Hill, NC Metrop ...

– April 30, 2021) His music includes elements of Texas blues, R&B and African-American string-band music. In his younger days he was also known for his proficiency as a buckdancer. *

Frank Hovington Franklin Hovington (January 9, 1919 – June 21, 1982), also known as Guitar Frank, was an American blues musician. He played the guitar and banjo and sang in the Piedmont blues style. He lived in the vicinity of Frederica, Delaware. Hovington ...

(January 9, 1919 – June 21, 1982). Guitar and banjo player and singer. *

Peg Leg Howell Joshua Barnes Howell, known as Peg Leg Howell (March 5, 1888 – August 11, 1966), was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist, who connected early country blues and the later Twelve bar blues, 12-bar style.Atlanta, Georgia, and recorded for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

from 1926 until 1929, and then fell into obscurity. In 1963 he was "rediscovered" in dire poverty in Atlanta by George Mitchell and Roger Brown. They recorded Howell at the age of 75; the recordings were issued on LP by Testament Records, thirty-four years after his last recorded sessions. * Mississippi John Hurt (March 3, 1892 – November 2, 1966). Guitarist and singer. On occasion, Hurt would use an open tuning and a

slide Slide or Slides may refer to: Places * Slide, California, former name of Fortuna, California Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Slide'' (Lisa Germano album), 1998 * ''Slide'' (George Clanton album), 2018 *''Slide'', by Patrick Glees ...

, as he did in his arrangement of "

The Ballad of Casey Jones "The Ballad of Casey Jones", also known as "Casey Jones, the Brave Engineer" or simply "Casey Jones", is a traditional American folk song about railroad engineer Casey Jones and his death at the controls of the train he was driving. It tells o ...

J

* Bo Weavil Jackson (dates of birth and death unknown). Guitarist and singer who recorded for

and Vocalion Records in 1926, one of the earliest bluesmen to be recorded. *

(February 24, 1924 – January 20, 2002). His first recordings were released in the early 1960s by Arhoolie Records. *

Henry "Rufe" Johnson Henry "Rufe" Johnson (October 2, 1908 – February 4, 1974), was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, harmonica player, pianist, banjo player, singer and songwriter. On occasion he played slide guitar with a pocket knife. He finally found a la ...

(October 2, 1908 – February 4, 1974). Guitarist, harmonica player, pianist, banjo player, singer and songwriter who found fame late in life following the release of his album, ''The Union County Flash!'' (1973). *

Luke Jordan Luke Jordan (January 28, 1892 or November 1893 – June 25, 1952) was an American blues guitarist and vocalist of some renown, particularly in the area of his home, in Lynchburg, Virginia. Biography Sources conflict on Jordan's birthplace. Some ...

(January 28, 1892 – June 25, 1952). Born in Bluefield, West Virginia, Jordan was a country blues guitarist who played in the Piedmont blues and

East Coast blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

styles. He spent most of his career in

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch (1740–1820), John Lynch, the city's populati ...

L

Charley Lincoln Charley Lincoln (born Charlie Hicks, Jr., March 11, 1900 – September 28, 1963), also known as Laughing Charley, was an early American country blues musician. He often recorded with his brother Robert Hicks, who was billed as Barbecue Bob. L ...

(March 11, 1900 – September 28, 1963). Born Charlie Hicks in Lithonia, Georgia, he was an acoustic country and Piedmont blues guitarist and vocalist. He was the older brother of Robert " Barbecue Bob" Hicks, with whom he performed from the 1920s until Robert's early death in 1931. Charley Lincoln continued to perform until the mid-1950s. He made several recordings, some for

M

Carl Martin Carl Clarke Martin (born 24 October 1986) is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a defender. He last played in 2015 for Wealdstone. Career Martin was born in Camden, London. He started his career in non-league football with ...

(April 1, 1906 – May 10, 1979). Multi-instrumentalist and singer. * Sara Martin (June 18, 1884 – May 24, 1955). Singer. She was possibly the first to record the blues song " 'T'aint Nobody's Bus'ness if I Do", with

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

on piano, in 1922. * Brownie McGhee (November 30, 1915 – February 16, 1996). Folk music and

singer and guitarist, best known for his collaboration with the harmonica player

Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and oc ...

. * Blind Willie McTell (May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959). Piedmont blues and ragtime singer and guitarist. His most notable song was " Statesboro Blues", which has been covered by several musicians. * Kid Prince Moore (Active 1936 – 1938). Guitarist and singer, who recorded 17 songs from 1936 to 1938. * William Moore (March 3, 1893 – November 22, 1951). Guitarist and singer. Described as "a facile, brilliant, and unusual guitarist", his style bridged ragtime and blues. *

Buddy Moss Eugene "Buddy" Moss (January 16, 1914 – October 19, 1984) was an American blues musician. He is one of two influential Piedmont blues guitarists to record in the period between Blind Blake's final sessions in 1932 and Blind Boy Fuller's de ...

(January 16, 1914 – October 19, 1984). Guitarist and singer. He is considered one of the most influential

guitarists to record in the period between Blind Blake's final sessions in 1932 and Blind Boy Fuller's debut in 1935.

P

* Charlie Parr (born 1967). Minnesota-based roots musician, Parr is influenced by earlier blues and folk traditions. Inspired by the music of Charley Patton,

Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, Virtuoso, virtuosity on the twelve-string guita ...

, Reverend Gary Davis, and Woody Guthrie, Parr's rural surroundings are reflected in his musical style. * Dan Pickett (August 31, 1907 – August 16, 1967). Born James Founty, he was a Piedmont blues and country blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. He recorded fourteen tracks for Gotham Records in 1949, several of which have been issued more recently. AllMusic noted that "Pickett had a distinctive rhythmic style and unique phrasing that makes his records compelling decades after his release".

Q

Doug Quattlebaum Elijah Douglas Quattlebaum (January 22, 1929 – March 1, 1996), better known as Doug Quattlebaum, was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He recorded one single for Gotham Records in 1953, but was offered another op ...

(January 22, 1929 – March 1, 1996) A guitarist, singer and songwriter, he recorded one single for Gotham Records in 1953, but bizarrely was offered another opportunity following his employment as an ice cream salesman.

T

* Baby Tate (January 28, 1916 – August 17, 1972). Guitarist who released his only album, ''Blues of Baby Tate: See What You Done Done'', in 1962, and twelve months later appeared in

Samuel Charters Samuel Barclay Charters IV (August 1, 1929 – March 18, 2015) was an American music historian, writer, record producer, musician, and poet. He was a widely published author on the subjects of blues and jazz. He also wrote fiction. Overview Cha ...

's documentary film ''The Blues''. *

(October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986). Piedmont blues and folk harmonica player. * Too Tight Henry (1899 – August 16, 1971). Guitarist and singer, who was associated with Blind Blake and

Blind Lemon Jefferson Lemon Henry "Blind Lemon" Jefferson (September 24, 1893 – December 19, 1929)Some sources indicate Jefferson was born on October 26, 1894. was an American blues and gospel singer-songwriter and musician. He was one of the most popular blues sing ...

. * Valerie Turner. A latter day guitarist, vocalist, educator, and author, Turner plays in the Piedmont style of fingerpicking guitar, continuing in the traditions of Mississippi John Hurt,

, Memphis Minnie, and

W

* Curley Weaver (March 25, 1906 – September 20, 1962). Guitarist and singer. *

Lightnin' Wells Lightnin' Wells is an American Piedmont blues multi-instrumentalist and singer. He is a proficient musician and regularly plays various instruments in concert including the guitar, mandolin, harmonica, ukulele and banjo. At times he has perfor ...

. A multi-instrumentalist and singer who has released six albums to date. * Josh White (February 11, 1914 – September 5, 1969). Singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and civil rights activist. *

Phil Wiggins Cephas & Wiggins were an American acoustic blues duo, composed of the guitarist John Cephas (September 4, 1930 – March 4, 2009) and the harmonica player Phil Wiggins (born May 8, 1954). They were known for playing Piedmont blues. His ...

(born May 8, 1954). Harmonica player. * Warner Williams. (died September 2021) AllMusic stated that he and Jay Summerour "specialized in the Piedmont blues tradition of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, billing themselves on the folk and blues circuit as Little Bit of Blues." *

Ralph Willis Ralph Willis AO (born 14 April 1938) is a former Australian politician who served as a Cabinet Minister during the entirety of the Hawke-Keating Government from 1983 to 1996, most notably as Treasurer of Australia from 1993 to 1996 and briefl ...

(1910 – June 11, 1957). Piedmont blues and country blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. *

Blind Willie Walker Blind Willie Walker (April 1896 – March 4, 1933) was an early United States, American blues guitarist and singer, who played the Piedmont blues style. He was described by blues musicians such as Reverend Gary Davis and Pink Anderson as an o ...

(April 1896 – March 4, 1933). Guitarist, singer and songwriter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Piedmont blues musicians Piedmont

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See also

References