The Invention and Reinvention of Big Bill Broonzy

Over the course of his long career, legendary bluesman William “Big Bill” Broonzy (1893-1958) helped shape the trajectory of the genre, from its roots in the rural Mississippi River Delta, through its rise as a popular genre in the north, to its eventual international acclaim. Through Broonzy's life and times, Kevin D. Greene assesses major themes and events in African American history.