1960 Revival of the Blues

England was the center of attraction for blues-rock. Records of B B King or Bobby 'Blue' Bland could be heard on the local radio stations and on the juke boxes in taverns, juke joints and on records. Many white youngsters got acquainted with the blues by listening to Jimi Hendrix, Paul Butterfield and John Mayall's Blues breakers or by listening to soul artists like Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson and Jimmy Hughes. Likewise, rock `n' roll fans got a taste of the blues through Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino. Much of the blues records were played on the pop radio stations that had a listening audience of young black and white kids as well as their parents.

Influential in the 1960s revival a the blues was Jimmy Reed. Calvin Carter, a representative of the Vee-Jay Record Company heard Jimmy play harmonica and guitar in Chicago and invited him to a record session. "High and Lonesome," and "Roll and Rhumba" were Reed's first record that made a local hit because Vee-Jay was not fully equipped for national distribution. Jimmy's blues were of the happy lyrical type and also with a rhythm that kids could dance to. Although Jimmy was primarily a bluesman, much of his music was categorized as rock 'n' roll along with Fats Domino and Chuck Berry. Reed was well liked and respected by the other artists. His health took a turn for the worst with his problems with alcohol and epilepsy. Jimmy died in 1976 at the age of 51.