Examining the blues genre by region, and describing the differences unique to each, make this a must-have for music scholars and lay readers alike.• Demonstrates the extensive contributions of African Americans to American music and culture• Supplies chapters on regions that include entries on the lives and contributions of individual blues musicians in particular areas of the United States, painting a colorful "map" of the development of blues music• Draws upon extensive archival research, such as Social Security death records, to establish fundamental facts and correct myths concerning blues musicians