The Blues is Living History
Few forms of American music can claim a history as long, as tradition-rich, and as complex as the Blues. Since its origins in the Deep South long ago, the Blues has been a bedrock for virtually all American popular music of the last hundred-plus years.
Whether it’s jazz or folk, country or pop, rock or rap, the Blues has exerted a deep, profound influence that resonates to this day. Part of the reason is that it has always expressed emotional, heartfelt truths about life that continue to speak to generations of listeners, from all corners and walks of society.
With distinct roots in centuries-old African-American culture, the Blues has always been about those feelings the word itself conjures up: feelings of sadness and solitude, and of being impacted by forces outside of one’s control.
“By giving voice to those feelings, the Blues helps both performers and listeners not only escape their troubles, but also rise above them.”
Throughout its existence, the essence of the Blues has remained constant, reinforcing basic elements that connect artists from different eras, geographies, and stylistic approaches. That’s because, above all, the Blues is a feeling as much as a form – and as universal as life itself.
Our Mission
To be the Premier Entertainment and Educational Resource Focusing on the Blues as the Foundation of American Music.
A US 501(c)(3), the National Blues Museum is the only museum dedicated exclusively to preserving and honoring the national and international story of the Blues and its impact on American culture in the United States.
Learn more about National Blues Museum by visiting: https://www.nationalbluesmuseum.org/.