Timeline Big Bill Broonzy: Key to the Highway

Big Bill Broonzy: Key to the Highway 11

• 1903 Big Bill Broonzy born in the Delta Lee Conley Bradley Born in the Mississippi–Arkansas Delta, he starts as a fiddler.
• 1918 – 1919 Big Bill Broonzy serves in the US Army First World War Serves in Europe during the First World War.
• 1920 Big Bill Broonzy moves to Chicago Great Migration Learns guitar from Papa Charlie Jackson.
• 1927 Big Bill Broonzy makes his first recordings Paramount Records The start of hundreds of recordings.
• 1938 Big Bill Broonzy plays From Spirituals to Swing Carnegie Hall Takes the place of the dead Robert Johnson at John Hammond's concert.
• 1941 Big Bill Broonzy records Key to the Highway Blues standard Later covered by Eric Clapton.
• 1951 Big Bill Broonzy tours Europe Folk blues Presented as a folk-blues singer, he inspires young British musicians.
• 1955 Big Bill Broonzy publishes Big Bill Blues Autobiography His life story, told to Yannick Bruynoghe.
• 1957 Big Bill Broonzy records his last sessions Folkways Recordings later released as Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs.
• 1958 Big Bill Broonzy dies in Chicago Aged 55 Dies of cancer.
• 1980 Big Bill Broonzy inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame First class Among the first inductees.