I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy

I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy chronicles the journey of one of America's pivotal blues musicians from his early days in Arkansas through his rise in Chicago's music scene. The biography traces Broonzy's evolution from a fiddle player to an influential blues guitarist who shaped the Chicago blues sound of the 1930s and 1940s. Through extensive research and interviews, Bob Riesman reconstructs Broonzy's path as he navigated the music industry, performed across the United States and Europe, and influenced generations of musicians. The book examines both his musical career and his role in the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to Chicago. Beyond the basic facts of Broonzy's life, Riesman explores how the musician crafted and adapted his public persona throughout different phases of his career. The narrative considers questions of identity, authenticity, and self-presentation in the context of 20th-century American music and race relations.

Readers appreciate the depth of research and previously unknown details about Broonzy's life, particularly corrections to long-held misconceptions about his background and career path. Multiple reviews note the book brings clarity to Broonzy's complex legacy. Liked: - Documentation of Broonzy's influence on folk revival movement - Coverage of his time in Europe - Details about his work with other musicians - Historical context of Chicago blues scene Disliked: - Writing style can be dry and academic - Some chapters focus heavily on peripheral figures - Limited analysis of his musical technique - Assumes prior knowledge of blues history Ratings: Goodreads: 4.07/5 (30 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (15 reviews) Library Journal: Starred review One Amazon reviewer wrote: "Riesman strips away the myths while maintaining Broonzy's importance to American music." A Goodreads reviewer noted: "Strong on facts but sometimes gets lost in minutiae."

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🎸 Despite being one of the most recorded blues artists of the 1930s and '40s, Big Bill Broonzy purposely crafted multiple, often contradictory versions of his life story, making it challenging for biographers to separate fact from fiction. 🎼 Bob Riesman spent over a decade researching this biography, conducting more than 75 interviews across the United States and Europe to piece together Broonzy's true story. 🌟 Broonzy was one of the first blues musicians to find success performing for white audiences in Europe, paving the way for many other American blues artists who would later tour internationally. 📚 The book reveals that many of Broonzy's widely accepted biographical details were invented, including his claimed birth date and birthplace. He was actually born in 1893 (not 1898) in Jefferson County, Arkansas (not Scott, Mississippi). 🎭 During his career transformation from a rural blues musician to an urban folk music figure, Broonzy deliberately changed his performance style and repertoire to appeal to different audiences, demonstrating remarkable adaptability as an entertainer.