Without the long history built on the backs of enslaved peoples of Africa, the musical landscape of the world as we know it today would be very different. As the blues were born out of a deep, intrinsic need to connect with one's origins and build community, so have been many of the most listened to genres across the globe.

Despite the hardships and disconnect caused by segregation and white supremacy since the beginning of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Black people in America and beyond have managed to create community out of musical expression on a level so deep and visceral that entire cultural landscapes have evolved out of it. As our world changes and the acknowledgement of the history of the cultures, entertainment and media that we consume as a society becomes a necessity, it's important to take note of the roots and the paths they created to lead us to where we are today. 

The most accessible history that surrounds blues music is inconsistent, as is much of the world’s history that is characterized by colonization or appropriation. However, it is palpable even through minor research that the roots of the most popular styles of music that have prevailed and evolved over decades, even down to some of the musical theory and structure of songs, have roots in the blues. Arguably, even many of the fashion aesthetics, trends and other cultural markers that get recycled over time have their roots in the sub-cultures that came out of the blues. For example, rock & roll was a sub-genre pioneered and carried forward by notable Black musicians such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Little Richard in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. However, with white folks being the most notable and highest paid, much of this history has been buried (it’s commonly thought that popular classic rock bands like The Rolling Stones pioneered rock music, even though most of these bands did not exist until the 60s or later). One of Tharpe’s most famous quotes, “oh these kids and their rock & roll, – this is just sped up rhythm and blues. I’ve been doing that forever,” gives some insight into the quiet power she knew she held as a Black woman in the white male-centric music industry.

Tharpe, born in Arkansas in 1915, became known in jazz, and gospel communities as a young prodigy in the 1920s, traveling with an evangelical gospel troupe from the age of 6. Notorious for her deep, bellowing gospel vocals, spiritual lyrics, catchy melodies, and unique style of guitar playing, Tharpe later would become a pioneer of many of the most widely used guitar techniques today. The amplification of gospel and blues music originated in the Mississippi Delta. She was one of the first artists to use heavy distortion on her guitar recordings in Chicago in the 30s. Before the use of amplification, blues music was considered to be in alignment with folk and roots music. However, when electric amplification was introduced, the potential for new styles through the use of distorted amplified frequencies opened up a new world of music.  This marked the beginning of the electric blues, (distinguished from earlier, traditional blues music). Tharpe is notable in her pioneering use of these techniques because she was first and foremost a guitar-playing gospel singer – with one foot in the church, she was sought after to play shows by popular club owners because she was known to bring in a crowd with her loud, unique expression. White musicians of the 50s and 60s that gained fame as rock musicians, such as Elvis Presley, were directly influenced by the style, flamboyant aesthetic, and large stage presence of Rosetta Tharpe.

This was also the very beginning of rock & roll: paving the way for the many genres and styles of country music, different styles of jazz, and dance music that are known today were born with the development of electric blues music scenes distinguishable by region (Chicago Blues, Detroit Blues, New Orleans Blues, Texas Blues and West Coast/Jump Blues). Along with 6 million other African Americans during The Great Migration, many of Mississippi’s blues pioneers, such as Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, were moving to Chicago and other urban centres in the West, Midwest and Northeast. This is notable, given the deep musical identities that all of these places still carry today; the developments of disco and hip hop in New York, house music in Chicago, techno in Detroit, the jazz evolution in New Orleans, country music in Texas, and the many styles of music to come out of the West Coast are no coincidence to the history of the blues (explored in part 4). 

Artists like Rosetta Tharpe and Little Richard were known not only for their sound, but for their stage presence, fashion, and ability to connect with the audience. Tharpe showed up on the stages she played with a big presence that captivated her audiences. Often wearing gowns with big shoulder pads and always with a smile, her audience was there for her performance as much as her sound. Later, in the 50s, Little Richard would become known for his frenetic piano and guitar playing style, flamboyant fashion sense, and undeniably mesmerizing energy. Looking at photos of Little Richard throughout his career, it is impossible not to think about Prince and see the influence on his personal and musical style. 

With enough digging, the pieces of this complex and intricate story come together with a common thread: the Black Soul that runs through all of this music. So why is it that the search engine algorithms, and even many of the books written over the last century on the blues fail to acknowledge and credit so many of the key figures and the true origins of this music? 

Though more conversations have been sparked within the microcosms of underground music scenes and artists are being called out for modern blackface (see Ariana Grande’s image progression through her career), the ways in which Black people have been continually used and taken from by white people for profit is insidious because of how the music industry is structured. It is easy to overlook some of the nuances of this industry and believe that “there just are not as many Black musicians”, but understanding that an erasure of Black history has been occurring since the beginning of the music industry makes it clear that there has never been a music industry that existed without white supremacy. 

The effects of the stronghold and perpetuation of white supremacy in the music industry are not very difficult to uncover. While a few of the world’s highest-earning musicians of all time are Black (Kanye West, Beyonce, Jay Z, P Diddy, Dr Dre) [Forbes, 2019], the discrepancy between both the number of white musicians and the amount of money they earn compared to their Black peers on this list is quite stark. It is also worth noting that the top earning of these Black musicians are also entrepreneurs, and have developed income streams in other avenues in addition to their artistic careers which is not necessarily true of most of the white artists that have been listed as the highest-earning. 

According to Forbes, in 2020, the highest paid musician was Kanye West, but this does not take into account the amount of his revenue that was made through other avenues, such as his clothing line. The list of 25 musicians goes on, and the only other two Black musicians listed are Jay-Z at #12 and Rihanna at #18. With a list of 25 artists, that means 8% of the most popular, highest-paid artists are Black. This effectively means that in comparison to white artists of the same caliber, Black artists are earning a fraction of what their white peers earn from touring, radio play/streaming, and record and merchandise sales. And with only 8% presence on this list, it means that only a very small fraction of Black artists are even afforded the opportunity to be the highest earners. The list also only has one other racialized person, Jennifer Lopez, who identifies as Latino and is considerably white-passing. If, in 2020, only 4 out of 25 of the highest paid musicians were non-white, what does this mean for the music industry as a whole?

 Until there is no longer a discrepancy between the number of white artists compared to Black and racialized artists on these lists, the music industry will be inherently problematic and toxic. As we move forward and prepare to re-enter a world post-pandemic, the history that has painted so much of the inequitable structures around us holds a very sacred and important place in guiding us forward to a better, equitable, world that is not driven by white supremacist ideals.  (Continued in Part 4)

sources:

Davis, Francis. 2003. The History Of The Blues: The Roots, The Music, The People.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/fb-8390483/Forbes-Worlds-Highest-Paid-Musicians-2020.html

https://marshall.com/live-for-music/guitar-heroes/sister-rosetta-tharpe

https://moneywise.com/life/entertainment/the-worlds-richest-music-stars

https://www.npr.org/2012/11/29/166114425/turning-up-the-volume-on-the-electric-blues

https://rock.fandom.com/wiki/Electric_blues