During the 1940’s many great blues players were among those who chose to leave the delta and migrate towards Chicago. For some it was an escape the apartheid, some a way of finding work and making a living, for others it was a way to avoid the vagrancy laws which would see them imprisoned . For many it was a new life that was filled with both uncertainty and optimism.
This migration; which was principally responsible for taking the blues to Chicago started in the early 1900’s, was largely influenced by the demand for workers in the North. The work demand in the North came mainly from the stemming of European immigrants coming into America and the demand for production when America entered the Second World War. The requirements for large scale production of all things war related opened up job opportunities. There was active recruitment drives to attract workers from the south.
The average worker in the rural south earned around $350 per annum in 1949 whereas in Chicago this was estimated to be around $1120 per annum. This level of earning was inaccessible to a person who remained in the south. With the addition of difficulties that the south had faced with the boll weevil devastating cotton production through the 1920’s and 30’s effecting wages. The prospect of leaving for the North looked ever more promising when news of work oppertunities reached those on the plantation of people who had already made it to Chicago.
Illinois Central Railroad.
The Illinois central railroad is an important contributory factor in the great migration in that it allowed people to travel from the south, through mid America and up to Chicago. Opening in 1856 between Chicago and Cairo.It allowed the transit of both people and freight. This meant a person could leave New Orleans at 8.30 am and be in Chicago by 8.30 am the following day for less than $20.
This railroad among others saw passengers migrating since the early 1900’s with a surge during the First World War. The migration was at its peak between the 1940’s and 50’s which incorporates the second world war years.In 1940 there was believed to be around 280,000 blacks in Chicago and by 1950 this had doubled to around 492,000. The increase continued into the 1960’s resulting in 800,000 blacks living in Chicago. With such large number of people in such a short time frame, Chicago struggled to cope with housing and also employment. This resulted in crowded housing conditions and poverty for many migrants.In many cases they were as worse off as in the south.
The blues go to Chicago.
The blues began to grow in Chicago with the arrival of musicians from the south. On the South side of Chicago, the sound of Chicago blues could be heard in the black clubs on an evening and on the street during the day. The electric guitar had developed since its invention in 1931. Come the 1940’s, electric amplification was being used to the point of distortion with both the guitar and harmonica.
In 1943 Muddy Waters emerged as a prominent blues player on the Chicago scene.He bought an electric guitar so he could cut through the noise in the clubs and played with a slide giving him a noticeable bright sustain. He eventually landed a recording contract with Aristocrat records. Many musicians began to realise that the ability to play could give them opportunities to make a break from the circumstances they found themselves in upon their arrival in Chicago.
Little Walter’s arrival in 1947 on the streets of Chicago signalled the beginning of his career. Initally he garnered a reputation playing on street corners where he came to be noticed, eventually joining Muddy Waters band.
A number of notable blues players followed suit such as Howlin Wolf, arriving in November 1952, with a young Hubert Sumlin playing guitar in his band. Wolf recorded for the Chess Record label between 1951 and 1958 with his most memorable song “Smokestack Lighnin” being recorded in 1956.
With the influx of black african americans into Chicago; the club scene expanded with new clubs opening up on both south and west side. This provided african americans the oppertunity to meet and listen to the latest music being played.
The progression of electric blues continued into the 1950’s eventually producing Rock and Roll driven by such artists as Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Without the great migration and the unique socio-economic factors which drove people up north, the blues as we know it would not have come to be. It’s important to realise that it was not only the individual artists that gave us the blues. But also the many lives of people; lived through those times, the struggles, hardships and the setbacks which built the character needed to bring about the blues.
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