Big Bill Blues: William Broonzy's Story

Rating:
Summary: The Happy Blues
Review: Big Bill Blues is a wonderful, folksy autobiography by one of the top blues musicians of the 20th century. Bill was poorly educated but he has a wonderful sense of irony (especially about race relations) & self-depricating humor that come out in both his songs and his book, which covers growing up black in the Jim Crow South, trying to make it as a blues musician, & recalling good times with his friends. A very quick and fun read. Skip the introduction, though--it's a bunch of academic observations by some egghead. Bill's story is much richer and more compelling.

Rating:
Summary: The Happy Blues
Review: Big Bill Blues is a wonderful, folksy autobiography by one of the top blues musicians of the 20th century. Bill was poorly educated but he has a wonderful sense of irony (especially about race relations) & self-depricating humor that come out in both his songs and his book, which covers growing up black in the Jim Crow South, trying to make it as a blues musician, & recalling good times with his friends. A very quick and fun read. Skip the introduction, though--it's a bunch of academic observations by some egghead. Bill's story is much richer and more compelling.

Rating:
Summary: O, Broonzy Where Art Thou?
Review: This book, the autobiography of bluesman Bill Broonzy as told to a British fan/writer, is a favorite among a cross section of blues lovers and book collectors ... Broonzy was a key figure in the birth of the blues (and therefore rock, country, hip hop etc), but most people have never heard of him.

This book is very colorful. It gives a good idea of what life was like in his day, the first half of last century. It reminds me of Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain (which is obviously about a different era) and The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter. Also, You Know Me, Al by Ring Lardner. (I guess I'm implying that one can learn about the history of our culture by reading about blues and baseball). Read this book if you liked O, Brother Where Art Thou? (the movie.

I hope enough people read, buy this book so that someone will put out a new edition. Maybe with a disc of his recordings (are you listening, Rhino Records)?