Big Bill Broonzy, byname of William Lee Conley Broonzy, (born June 26, 1893, Scott, Mississippi, U.S.—died August 14, 1958, Chicago, Illinois), American blues singer and guitarist who represented a tradition of itinerant folk blues.
Broonzy maintained that he was born in 1893 in Scott, Mississippi, but some sources suggest that he was born in 1903 near Lake Dick, Arkansas. In any case, Broonzy grew up in Arkansas. He served in the army (1918–19) and moved to Chicago in 1920, where six years later he made his recording debut as guitar accompanist to African American blues singers. Later he became a singer himself, and by 1940 he was recognized as one of the best-selling blues recording artists. His New York City concert debut was made at Carnegie Hall in 1938. In 1951 he visited Europe and soon became popular across that continent. At the height of his popularity, in 1957, his vocal effectiveness was reduced by a lung operation, and he died the following year of cancer. His best-known songs included “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” “Key to the Highway,” “W.P.A. Blues,” “All by Myself,” and, perhaps most notably, “Black, Brown and White.”
Many students of the blues have found his work almost as fascinating for its sociological as for its strictly musical content. His mother, who was born a slave, died in 1957 at the age of 102, having survived to see Broonzy become a world-famous figure. His autobiography, Big Bill Blues, appeared in 1955. Broonzy was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.
Volume 1
01 - House Rent Stomp
02 - Big Bill Blues (20373)
03 - Down in the Basement Blues
04 - Starvation BLues (20923)
05 - I can't Be Satisfied (9599)
06 - Grandma's Farm
07 - Skoodle Do Do (9601)
08 - Tadpole Blues
09 - Skoodle Do Do (16573)
10 - Saturday Night Rub (9594)
11 - Pig Meat Strut (9587)
12 - Papa's Gettin' Hot
13 - Police Station Blues
14 - They can't Do That
15 - State Street Woman
16 - Meanest Kind of Blues
17 - I Got the Blues for My Baby
18 - The Banker's Blues
19 - How You Wan't Done (17284)
20 - Too Too Train BLues (18383)
21 - Mistreatin' Mamma (18384)
22 - Big Bill Blues (18385)
23 - Brown Skin Shuffle
24 - Stove Pipe Stomp
25 - Beedle Um Bum
26 - Selling That Stuff
Volume 2
01 - You Do It (Steele Smith. vcl)
02 - Mr. Conductor Man
03 - Too-Too Train Blues (11605)
04 - Worrying You Off My Mind--Part 1
05 - Worrying You Off My Mind--Part 2
06 - Shelby County Blues
07 - Mistreatin' Mamma Blues (11609)
08 - Bull Cow Blues
09 - How You Want It Done (11611)
10 - Long Tall Mama
11 - M and O Blues
12 - Rukus Juice Blues
13 - Friendless Blues
14 - Milk Cow Blues
15 - Hungry Man Blues
16 - I'll Be Back Home Again
17 - Bull Cow Blues--Part 2
18 - Serve it to Me Right
19 - Starvation Blues (80394)
20 - Mississippi River Blues
21 - At the Break of Day
22 - I Want to Go Home
23 - Hard Headed Woman
24 - Dying Day Blues
Volume 3
01 - I Want to See My Baby - BIG BILL
02 - Serve it to Me Right
03 - Dirty-No-Gooder
04 - Let Her Go--She Don't Know
05 - Hobo Blues
06 - Prowlin' Ground Hog
07 - C-C Rider (take A)
08 - C-C Rider (take B)
09 - Mobile and Western Line - STATE STREET BOYS
10 - Crazy About You
11 - Sweet to Mama
12 - Rustelin' Man
13 - She Caught the Train
14 - Midnight Special
15 - The Dozen
16 - Don't Tear My Clothes
17 - The Southern Blues - BIG BILL
18 - Good Jelly
19 - C and A Blues
20 - Something Good
21 - You May Need My Help Someday
22 - Rising Sun Shine On
Volume 4
01 - Tell Me What Kind of Man Jesus Is (Chicago Sanctified Singers)
02 - I ain't No Stranger Now (Chicago Sanctified Singers)
03 - Mountain Blues
04 - Bad Luck Blues
05 - I can't Make You Satisfied
06 - I'm Just a Bum
07 - Keep Your Hands Off Her
08 - The Sun Gonna Shine in My Door Someday
09 - Good Liquor Gonna Carry Me Down
10 - Down The Line BLues
11 - Bricks in My Pillow
12 - Tell Me What You Been Doing
13 - Ash Hauler
14 - Evil Women Blues
15 - These Ants Keep Biting Me
16 - Big Bill Blues
17 - You Know I Need Lovin'
18 - Match Box Blues
19 - Low Down Woman Blues
20 - Keep Your Mind On It (Hokum Boys)
21 - Bull Cow Blues No. 3
22 - Married Life's a Pain
23 - Black Mare Blues
24 - Pneumonia Blues
Volume 5
01 - Big Bill's Milk Cow No. 2
02 - W.P.A. Blues
03 - I'm A Southern Man
04 - Nancy Jane
05 - Lowland Blues
06 - Seven-eleven
07 - You Know I Got A Reason
08 - Oh, Babe
09 - Detroit Special
10 - Falling Rain
11 - Black Widow Spider
12 - Cherry Hill
13 - Out With The Wrong Woman
14 - Don't Tear My Clothes no. 2
15 - You Drink Too Much
16 - Southern Flood Blues
17 - My Big Money
18 - My Woman Mistreats Me
19 - Let's Reel And Rock
20 - Come Up To My House
21 - Get Away
22 - Terrible Flood Blues
23 - Little Bug
24 - Home Frog (take 1)
Volume 6
01 - Horny Frog (take 2)
02 - Mean Old World (take 1)
03 - Mean Old World (take 2)
04 - Barrel House When it Rains
05 - You Do Me Any Old Way (take 1)
06 - You Do Me Any Old Way (take 2)
07 - Down in the Alley (take 1) (Midnight Ramblers)
08 - Down in the Alley (take 2) (Midnight Ramblers)
09 - Stuff They Call Money (Midnight Ramblers)
10 - Louise, Louise Blues (take 1)
11 - Louise, Louise Blues (take 2)
12 - Let Me Be Your Winder
13 - Hattie Blues (take 1)
14 - Hattie Blues (take 2)
15 - My Old Lizzie
16 - Come Home Early (take 1)
17 - Come Home Early (take 2)
18 - Come Home Early (take 3)
19 - Come Home Early (take 4)
20 - My Gal is Gone
21 - Evil Hearted Me
22 - I Want My Hands On It (take 1)
23 - I Want My Hands On It (take 2)
24 - It's Too Late Now (take 1)
25 - It's Too Late Now (take 2)
26 - Made a Date With An Angel (Got No Walking Shoes) (take 1)
Volume 7
01. Made a Date With an Angel (Got No Walking Shoes) (take 2)
02. Play Your Hand
03. Hattie Blues (take 3)
04. Somebody's Got to Go
05. Good Boy
06. I Want You By My Side
07. Border BLues
08. Sweetheart Land
09. It's a Low Down Dirty Shame
10. Got to Get Ready Tonight
11. Trucking Little Woman
12. Unemployment Stomp
13. Why Do You Do That to Me
14. It's Your Time Now
15. I'll Start Cutting On You
16. Sad Letter Blues
17. The Mill Man Blues
18. I'll Do Anything For You
19. Sad Pencil BLues
20. New Shake-Em On Down
21. Night Time is the Right Time No. 2
22. Let Me Dig It
23. W. P. A. Rag
Volume 8
01 - Going Back to Arkansas
02 - Rider Rider Blues
03 - Living On Easy Street
04 - Good Time Tonight
05 - Trouble and Lying Woman
06 - I Believe I'll Go Back Home
07 - Flat Foot Susie With Her Flat Yes Yes
08 - Trucking Little Woman No. 2
09 - Hell ain't But a Mile and a Quarter
10 - Don't You Lay it On Me
11 - Done Got Wise (Concert)
12 - Louise, Louise (Concert)
13 - Spreadin' Snake Blues
14 - Baby don't You Remember
15 - Whiskey and Good Time Blues
16 - Baby I Done Got Wise
17 - Preachin' the Blues
18 - Just a Dream
19 - Fightin' Little Rooster
20 - Mary Blues
21 - You can't Sell 'Em in Here
22 - Just Got to Hold You Tight (take 1)
23 - Just Got to Hold You Tight (take 2)
Volume 9
01 - Just Wondering
02 - Keep on A-Smilin'
03 - She Never
04 - Woodie Woodie
05 - Too Many Drivers
06 - You can't Win
07 - Ride, Alberta, Ride
08 - That's All Right, Baby
09 - Please Be My So and So
10 - L. C. Blues
11 - Cotton Choppin' Blues
12 - Hot Dog Mama
13 - Dreamy Eyed Baby
14 - My Last Goodbye to You
15 - Don't You Want to Ride
16 - Don't You Be No Fool
17 - Just a Dream No. 2
18 - 'Tell Me What I Done
19 - Oh Yes
20 - I'm Still Your Sweetheart, Baby
21 - Down and Lost in Mind
22 - Let's Have a Little Fun
23 - Messed Up in Love
Volume 10
01. Plow Hand Blues
02. Jivin' Mr. Fuller Blues
03. Make My Get Away
04. Looking For My Baby
05. I've Got to Dig You
06. Leap Year Blues
07. When I Had Money
08. You Got to Hit the Right Lick
09. What is That She Got?
10. Merry Go Round Blues (3039)
11. Medicine Man Blues
12. Looking Up at Down
13. Midnight Steppers
14. Lone Wolf Blues
15. Hit the Right Lick
16. You Better Cut that Out
17. I Wonder what's Wrong with Me
18. Bed Time Blues
19. Merry-Go-Round Blues (3309)
20. Serenade Blues
21. Lonesome Road Blues
22. Getting Older Every Day (take 1)
23. Getting Older Every Day (take 2)
24. That Number of Mine
25. My Gal is Gone
26. I'll Never Dream Again
Volume 11
01. Rockin' Chair Blues
02. Shine On, Shine On
03. Green Grass Blues
04. My Little Flower
05. Sweet Honey Bee
06. When I Been Drinking
07. Key to the Highway
08. Double Trouble
09. Going Back to My Plow
10. I'm Having so Much Trouble
11. Wee Wee Hours
12. Conversation with the Blues
13. All by Myself
14. Keep Your Hand on Your Heart
15. Why Should I Spend My Money
16. What's Wrong With Me
17. I Feel so Good
18. In the Army Now
19. Bad Acting Woman
20. Night Watchman Blues
21. She's Gone With the Wind
22. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
23. Tell Me Baby
24. Hard Hearted Woman
25. I'm Woke Up Now
Volume 12
01. Please Believe Me
02. Why Did You Do That To Me?
03. You Got to Play Your Hand
04. Just a Dream
05. Doing the Best I Can
06. Partnership Woman
07. Humble Blues
08. Oh Baby
09. Cell No. 13 Blues
10. When I Get to Thinkin'
11. Roll Dem Bones
12. You Got the Best Go
13. I Can Fix It
14. Old Man Blues
15. I Can't Write
16. What Can I Do
17. San Antonio Blues
18. Saturday Evening Blues
19. Big Bill's Boogie
20. Just Rockin'
21. Shoo Blues
22. Stop Lying Woman
23. Rambling Bill
24. Summer Time Blues
25. Bad Luck Man
Volume 13
Big Bill Broonzy
01 - Bull cow blues No. 3 (alt take)
02 - Married life is a pain (alt take)
03 - Black mare blues (alt take)
04 - W.P.A. blues (alt take)
05 - Oh babe (don't do me that way) (alt take)
06 - Little bug (alt take)
Big Bill Broonzy & His Fat Four
07 - I'm a wanderin' man
08 - I love my whiskey
09 - You've been mistreating me
10 - I stay blue all the time
11 - Water coast blues
Big Bill Broonzy
12 - Five feet seven
13 - I wonder
14 - Keep your hands off her
15 - Mindin' my own business
16 - John Henry
17 - In the evening when the sun goes down
Big Bill Broonzy & Graeme Bell's Australian Jazz Band
18 - I feel so good
19 - Who's sorry now
Big Bill Broonzy
20 - Trouble in mind
21 - Keep your hands off her
Big Bill Broonzy & Graeme Bell's Australian Jazz Band
22 - Mama don't allow
23 - When the saints go marching in
