About Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy, later known as William Lee Broonzy, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African-American audiences. In the 1930s and 1940s, he navigated a change in style to a more urban blues sound popular with working-class black 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. However, family records discovered after his death suggested that the year may have been 1903. His first record, "House Rent Stomp", backed with "Big Bill Blues", credited to Big Bill and Thomps (Paramount 12656), was released in 1927. His initial test recordings, made with his friend John Thomas on vocals, were rejected, but Broonzy persisted, and his second try, a few months later, was more successful.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.