← Back

Lee Conley Bradley

Lee Conley Bradley

Born: 1903-06-26

American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country blues to mostly African-American audiences. Through the 1930s and 1940s he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with working-class African-American audiences. In the 1950s a return to his traditional folk-blues roots made him one of the leading figures of the emerging American folk music revival and an international star. His long and varied career marks him as one of the key figures in the development of blues music in the 20th century.

Broonzy copyrighted more than 300 songs during his lifetime, including both adaptations of traditional folk songs and original blues songs. As a blues composer, he was unique in writing songs that reflected his rural-to-urban experiences.

Filmography
Big Bill Broonzy: The Man who Brought the Blues to Britain poster
Big Bill Broonzy: The Man who Brought the Blues to Britain
2013 • Self (archive footage)
No Image
Long John Baldry: In the Shadow of the Blues
2007 • Self(archive footage)
The Story Of The Blues poster
The Story Of The Blues
2004 • Self
Blues Masters poster
Blues Masters
1999
Big Bill Blues poster
Big Bill Blues
1957 • Self
Low Light and Blue Smoke poster
Low Light and Blue Smoke
— • Big Bill Broonzy