Music

By: Grant Semmel

The Spread of Blues

Music has played a large part in American culture, and particularly so in that of the South. Blues music had taken Mississippi by storm by the mid 20th century. Various Southern blues artists such as B.B. King and Robert Johnson inspired the African American genre to become some of the best music of the time. Blues music was widely popular to listeners all throughout the Great Depression, and acted as a link to the people whom had only so recently been enslaved. African Americans created this genre as an escape from the harsh reality of the world. The tone sung well during the Great Depression, giving it the popularity to kick off. Neilson’s archives preserved sale records of old blues records from various artists, which helped to promote not only their hometown musicians, but the entirety of the blues genre.

            The blues originated from the Mississippi Delta region where freed slaves sought out an occupation in music; many African Americans struggling against the Jim Crow laws turned to music if not as an occupation, then as a simple pastime instead. Many great performers came with the blues’ onset; various artists entertained the masses with figures such as Robert Johnson, who was said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for masterful guitar skills[1]; or Bessie Smith, dubbed the ‘Empress of the Blues’, who inspired women to participate in the blues movement as well[2]. The Living Blues was an organization and magazine that started in Oxford to promote this talented host of colored performers, and helped to spread interest for southern blues and their artists.

            The blues movement’s popularity produced new merchandise, some of which would be available at Neilson’s. Magazines and records of blues music were produced and purchased, generating revenue for Neilson’s and providing funds for the musicians. However, as jobs had become more scarce during the Great Depression, blues artists moved up north in search of larger audiences. Some artists traveled as far as Chicago, a common destination for the Great Migration[3]. At their homes they left their home in the Mississippi Delta, musicians were celebrated and missed. As the music industry migrated up to the North, the South was left with the memories and music of their talented artists. Music sales decreased as time went by; as more and more people migrated North, old blues artists were replaced with new ones, and in turn they too were replaced with various musicians and other genres such as rock and roll. Even after the blues phase moved on, its Southern heritage has been renowned and respected for decades. 

            Neilson’s was provided an excellent opportunity to both spread the music of esteemed blues musicians and turn a profit at the same time – a win-win situation. Although the department store has changed to accomodate the current times by just selling clothes, the reputation of its history will not be forgotten. The archives showed the trend of blues music overtime through past records, and even provided proof of sales in the prime of the blues legacy.

[1]Zheng, Jianqing. 2013. “The Robert Johnson ‘Blues Trail’: A Photo Essay” http://search.ebscohost.com.umiss.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=2014381981&site=ehost-live&scope=site

[2]Reitz, Rosetta. 1994. “Miss Bessie Smith: Empress of the Blues” http://search.ebscohost.com.umiss.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=1994085095&site=ehost-live&scope=site

[3]McGinley, Paige. 2007. “Highway 61 Revisited”http://search.ebscohost.com.umiss.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=2007443197&site=ehost-live&scope=site