ArtsZipper

Presented by Sheldon Art Galleries
With support from the Regional Arts Commission.
Visual Arts
General Audiences

With archival photographs, illustrations by Kevin Belford, ephemera and biographies on key musicians this exhibition tells the story of the rich history of blues music in St. Louis. Building on its key role in ragtime music, St. Louis became a gathering place for early blues piano players such as Speckled Red, Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw and "Barrelhouse Buck" McFarland. Blues guitarists also made St. Louis their home - including "Blind Blues" Darby, Lonnie Johnson, Clifford Gibson, J.D. "Jelly Jaw" Short, Big Joe Williams and Henry Townsend. There were outstanding women singers Mary Johnson, Edith Johnson, Alice Moore, Irene Scruggs and Victoria Spivey, as well as big name recording stars like Walter Davis and the twins Aaron "Pinetop" Sparks and Milton "Lindberg" Sparks. W.C. Handy’s famous "St. Louis Blues" and the many versions of "Frankie and Johnny" and the Staggerlee story and many other songs are landmark blues songs from the St. Louis blues tradition.