Detroit blues

Detroit blues
Stylistic origins	Delta blues
Cultural origins	Early twentieth century: Detroit
Typical instruments	Electric guitar harmonica drums piano bass guitar saxophone

John Lee Hooker

Detroit blues is blues music played by musicians resident in Detroit, Michigan, particularly that played in the 1940s and 1950s. Detroit blues originated when Delta blues performers migrated north from the Mississippi Delta and Memphis, Tennessee to work in Detroit's industrial plants in the 1920s and 1930s. Typical Detroit blues was very similar to Chicago blues in style. The sound was distinguished from Delta blues by its use of electric amplified instruments and a more eclectic assortment of instruments, including the bass guitar and piano.

The only Detroit blues performer to achieve national fame is John Lee Hooker, as record companies and promoters have tended to ignore the Detroit scene in favor of the larger, more influential Chicago blues. The Detroit scene was centered on Black Bottom, a Detroit neighborhood.

See also

• List of Detroit blues musicians

External links

• History section of Detroit Blues Society website