Blues in Europe

In 1949, Leadhelly took his show to France. It was such a financial success that other European countries wanted the blues artists to perform for their people. In 1951, Big Bill Broonzy traveled throughout Europe featuring his popular hits of "John Henry" and "Black, Brown and White." There was no end of the influx of black blues performers for Europe. England was blessed with the talents of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee in 1958. It tool a little while for the Europeans to get acquainted with Muddy Waters' electric guitar, since they were accustomed to the acoustic guitar sound. But, after hearing Muddy's masterful performance on his guitar it was widely accepted.

The re-birth of the blues in Europe was obvious that music magazines were paying more attention to it and giving full coverage in their articles about the blues people and their music. Music critics, Yannick Bruynoghe and George Adins of Belgium and French writers Marcel Chauvard and Jacques Demetre came to the United States to do more research of the blues and its people. They settled in Chicago and Detroit for numerous interviews for information about the blues music, the clubs where blues were performed and the lifestyle of the blues people themselves.

With the growth and expansion of the blues in Europe, many publishers were printing blues magazines for their growing market. There were Blues Unlimited, Blues World, and Rhythm and Blues Monthly from England. Belgium had R&B Panorama and Sweden published the Jefferson magazine. Germany France, Japan, Italy and Finland had their editions of blues magazines. There was a hunger for more information about the blues and its people. Sweden sent Bengt Olsson to research the medicine shows arid the fife and drum bands. Researchers came to the Carolinas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Chicago, Detroit and Alabama to learn more about their musical traditions.