Chapter 5: The Blues
While the rural blues was dominated by male performers, Memphis Minnie (1897–1973) stands out as a powerful exception. Born Lizzie Douglas in Algiers, Louisiana, she began performing on the streets of Memphis as a teenager under the name “Kid Douglas” and later joined the Ringling Brothers Circus. Her strong voice, commanding stage presence, and exceptional guitar skills made her one of the most respected blues musicians of her era.
In 1929, Memphis Minnie was discovered by a Columbia Records talent scout and began recording with her husband, guitarist Joe McCoy. Together, they created dynamic duets, with McCoy often playing bass lines on a second guitar. Minnie soon gained fame not only for her musicianship but also for her toughness and confidence in the male-dominated blues scene.
She moved to Chicago in the 1930s, where she became a central figure in the urban blues scene, bridging the rural tradition with more modern, electric styles. Her songs combined sharp lyrical wit with gritty realism, tackling subjects like love, travel, survival, and independence. In a famed performance contest, she defeated blues legend Big Bill Broonzy with her renditions of “Me and My Chauffeur Blues” and “Looking the World Over,” earning two bottles of liquor as her prize. Minnie’s long and prolific recording career—spanning more than 200 tracks—solidified her status as one of the few female stars of the blues tradition and a trailblazer for future generations of women in blues and popular music.