Blues is the Source

After a career of over 60 years, BB King was asked: “Why do you play the Blues?” He answered:

“Because the Blues is the source!” What he meant was Blues is where everything starts and where everything comes from. The Blues is the source of all the popular music we listen to. If it were not for the blues, we would not have Rock, Soul, Funk, R&B, Pop, Jazz and other genres that have been influenced by Blues.

Now, I’m not claiming that it’s the only thing that has had an impact on modern music, but it is definitely one of the main factors that gives us the music we have today.

Blues leaves a clear musical inheritance in Rock & Roll, like the 12-bar construction, guitar licks and others. This becomes even more obvious when you understand that Rock & Roll started with Blues musicians changing he rhythmic structure slightly and increasing the tempo to make it more upbeat.

Musicians such as Chuck Berry and Fats Domino were a huge influence in all this and came from a Blues background. You can also see this Blues legacy in songs like “You Ain’t Nothing but a Hound Dog” which started out as a blues song way before Elvis made it famous.

Perhaps the most obvious song that clarifies this heritage is “The Blues Had a Baby (and They Named it Rock & Roll.” However, after the Rock & Roll evolved into what we know as modern Rock, we can still hear guitarists use traditional Blues licks and often perform Blues standards at their concerts. Musicians like Eric Clapton and Gary Moore, and bands like Aerosmith and AC/DC are clear examples of Blues influence.

Ray Charles came from a musical background of Blues and church gospel and is considered the father of Soul. This genre that had the Blues in its roots fueled the movement of the record label Motown which recorded huge stars in the world of Soul and R&B (which stands for “rhythm and BLUES”). Later, artist like James Brown, the godfather of Soul, lead the way into what now is known as Funk.

Anywhere we hear, we can find how Blues has had a clear impact in modern music. If we search the structures of all these genres and more, we can find certain elements of Blues that have been carried over and have shaped what we listen to now. I invite you to listen and feel the Blues! The point is:

Blues is more than roots music, it is the source!