Blues Hall of Fame

The Blues Hall of Fame is the gallery of honor for the Blues Foundation , a Memphis , Tennessee nonprofit that is committed to promoting the blues .

Since 1980, pioneers of the blues have been recognized for their achievements by being inducted into the “Hall of Fame”. The awards were presented in Memphis , Los Angeles, and Washington, DC . There is no submission or nomination process. A group of selected blues experts meets in autumn and, after a long discussion, casts votes in the five categories.

• Performers
• Non-performers
• Classics of Blues Literature
• Classics of Blues Recordings (Songs)
• Classics of Blues Recordings (Albums)

Entries from the Blues Hall of Fame

year	Performer	Non-performer	Classics of Blues Recordings (Songs)	Classics of Blues Recordings (Albums)	Classics of Blues Literature
1980	Big Bill Broonzy Willie Dixon John Lee Hooker Lightnin 'Hopkins Son House Howlin 'wolf Elmore James Blind Lemon Jefferson Robert Johnson BB King Little Walter Memphis Minnie Muddy Waters Charley Patton Jimmy Reed Bessie Smith Otis Spann T-bone walker Sonny Boy Williamson I. Sonny Boy Williamson II.
1981	Bobby Blue Bland Roy Brown Blind Willie McTell Professor Longhair Tampa Red
1982	Big Walter Horton Freddie (Freddy) King Leroy Carr Magic Sam Ray Charles			King of the Delta Blues Singers Robert Johnson (Columbia, 1961)	Blues and Gospel Records 1902–1942 Robert MW Dixon and John Godrich Blues Unlimited Magazine Simon Napier and Mike Leadbitter Living Blues Magazine Bruce Iglauer , Jim O'Neal , Amy van Singel , Paul Garon , et al.
1983	Albert King Big Joe Turner Louis Jordan Ma Rainey Robert Nighthawk		Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad) T-Bone Walker (Black & White, 1947) Dust My Broom Elmore James (Trumpet, 1951) Hellhound on My Trail Robert Johnson (ARC / Vocalion, 1937) Sweet Home Chicago Robert Johnson (Vocalion, 1936) Worried Life Blues Big Maceo (Bluebird, 1941)	Founder of the Delta Blues Charley Patton (Yazoo, 1970) King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. II Robert Johnson (Columbia, 1970) Live at the Regal B. B. King (ABC-Paramount, 1965) McKinley Morganfield AKA Muddy Waters Muddy Waters (Chess, 1971) The Best of Muddy Waters Muddy Waters (Chess, 1958)	Blues Who's Who: A Biographical Dictionary of Blues Singers Sheldon Harris
1984	Hound Dog Taylor Otis Rush Big Mama Thornton		Got My Mojo Working Muddy Waters (Chess, 1960) I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man Muddy Waters (Chess, 1954) The Things That I Used to Do Guitar Slim (Specialty, 1953)	Boss Blues Harmonica Little Walter (Chess, 1972) Hoodoo Man Blues Junior Wells (Delmark, 1966) West Side Soul Magic Sam Blues Band (Delmark, 1968)	Deep Blues Robert Palmer
1985	Buddy guy Chuck Berry JB Hutto Slim Harpo		Boogie Chilling ' John Lee Hooker (Modern, 1948) Smokestack Lightning Howlin 'Wolf (Chess, 1956) The Thrill Is Gone B. B. King (ABC Bluesway, 1969)	Born Under a Bad Sign Albert King (Stax, 1967) Chester Burnett AKA Howlin 'Wolf Howlin' Wolf (Chess, 1972) Howlin 'Wolf Howlin' Wolf (Chess, 1962)	Blues Records 1943-1966 Mike Leadbitter & Neil Slaven
1986	Albert Collins Leadbelly Tommy Johnson		Cross Road Blues Robert Johnson (ARC / Vocalion, 1936) Juke Little Walter (Checker, 1952) Mannish Boy Muddy Waters (Chess, 1955)	I Am the Blues Willie Dixon (Columbia, 1970) Ice Pickin ' Albert Collins (Alligator, 1978) Live Wire / Blues Power Albert King (Stax, 1968)	Chicago Breakdown (Chicago Blues) Mike Rowe
1987	Eddie Taylor Percy Mayfield Sonny Terry		Big Road Blues Tommy Johnson (Victor, 1928) Help Me Sonny Boy Williamson II (Checker, 1963) Please Send Me Someone to Love Percy Mayfield (Specialty, 1950)	Blues Before Sunrise Leroy Carr (Columbia, 1962) Hide Away Freddie King (King, 1969) Two Steps from the Blues Bobby "Blue" Bland (Duke, 1961)	The Story of the Blues Paul Oliver
1988	Jay McShann Johnny Winter Little Milton Mississippi John Hurt		Born Under a Bad Sign Albert King (Stax, 1967) How Long, How Long Blues Leroy Carr (Vocalion, 1928) Pony Blues Charley Patton (Paramount, 1929)	Down on Stovall's Plantation Muddy Waters (Testament, 1966) The Chess Box Muddy Waters (P-Vine Special, 1985) The Original Flair & Meteor Sides Elmore James (Ace, 1984)	The Blues Fell This Morning (The Meaning of the Blues) Paul Oliver
1989	Clifton Chenier Memphis Slim Robert Jr. Lockwood		Come On in My Kitchen Robert Johnson (ARC / Vocalion, 1936) Driftin 'Blues Johnny Moore's Three Blazers (Philo, 1945) Long Distance Call Muddy Waters (Chess, 1951)	Live on Maxwell Street 1964 Robert Nighthawk (Rounder, 1980) Right Place, Wrong Time Otis Rush (Bullfrog, 1976) Showdown! Albert Collins , Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland (Alligator, 1985) The World's Greatest Blues Singer Bessie Smith (Columbia, 1970)	Feel Like Going Home Peter Guralnick
1990	Blind Blake Bukka White Lonnie Johnson		Big Boss Man Jimmy Reed (Vee-Jay, 1960) Good Morning, School Girl Sonny Boy Williamson I. (Bluebird 1937) Terraplane Blues Robert Johnson (ARC / Vocalion, 1936)	Black Magic Magic Sam Blues Band (Delmark, 1969) The Chess Box Willie Dixon (Various Artists) (MCA Chess, 1989) The Complete 1931 Session Skip James (Yazoo, 1986)	Big Bill Blues: William Broonzy's Story Yannick Bruynoghe
1991	Billie Holiday Fred McDowell Sleepy John Estes Sunnyland Slim	Leonard Chess	Killing Floor Howlin 'Wolf (Chess, 1964) Nine Below Zero Sonny Boy Williamson II (Trumpet, 1951) Rocket 88 Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (Chess, 1951) The Sky Is Crying Elmore James (Fire, 1959)	Can't Get No Grindin ' Muddy Waters (Chess, 1973) Chicago / The Blues / Today! Vol. 1-3 Various Artists (Vanguard, 1966) The Best of Little Walter Little Walter (Checker, 1958)	Big Road Blues Paul Evans Conversation with the Blues Paul Oliver The Country Blues Samuel Charters
1992	Big Joe Williams Johnny Shines Skip James		Baby, Please Don't Go Big Joe Williams (Bluebird, 1935) Statesboro Blues Blind Willie McTell (Victor, 1928)	Blues From the Gutter Champion Jack Dupree (Atlantic, 1958) Father of the Folk Blues Son House (Columbia, 1965) Parchman Farm Bukka White (Columbia, 1970) The Complete Recordings Robert Johnson (Columbia / Legacy, 1990)	I Am the Blues: The Willie Dixon Story Willie Dixon with Don Snowden
1993	Champion Jack Dupree Lowell Fulson		Reconsider Baby Lowell Fulson (Checker, 1954)	Chicago Bound Jimmy Rogers (Chess, 1970)	Urban Blues Charles Wedge
1994	Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup Wynonie Harris	Bill "Hoss" Allen Gene Nobles John & Alan Lomax John R.	I Can't Quit You Baby Otis Rush (Cobra 1956) Texas Flood Larry Davis (Duke, 1958)	The Complete Recordings of T-Bone Walker 1940–1954 T-Bone Walker (Mosaic, 1990)	Nothing But the Blues: The Music and the Musicians Lawrence Cohn
1995	Jimmy Rogers	Phil Chess	Wang Dang Doodle Koko Taylor (Checker, 1965)	Boss of the Blues Big Joe Turner (Atlantic, 1956) Otis Spann Is the Blues Otis Spann with Robert Lockwood, Jr. (Candid, 1961)	Searching for Robert Johnson: The Life and Legend of the "King of the Delta Blues" Peter Guralnick The Land Where the Blues Began Alan Lomax
1996	Charles Brown David Honeyboy Edwards	Bob Koester Pete Welding	Don't Start Me Talkin ' Sonny Boy Williamson II (Checker, 1955)	Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers (Alligator, 1971)	Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom Peter Guralnick
1997	Brownie McGhee Koko Taylor	Bruce Iglauer	Baby Scratch My Back Slim Harpo (Excello, 1965)	Paul Butterfield Blues Band Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Elektra, 1965)	Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm & Blues Arnold Shaw
1998	Junior Wells Luther Allison	Lillian McMurry Sam Phillips	Messing with the Kid Junior Wells (Chief, 1960)	I'll Play the Blues for You Albert King (Stax, 1972)	Blues from the Delta William Ferris
1999	Clarence Gatemouth Brown Roosevelt Sykes	Chris Strachwitz Lester Melrose	Dark Was the Night Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia, 1927)	Blues hit Big Town Junior Wells (Delmark, 1977)	The World Don't Owe Me Nothing David Honeyboy Edwards
2000	Johnny Otis Stevie Ray Vaughan	Dick Waterman	Down Home Blues Z. Z. Hill (Malaco, 1982)	Mississippi Delta Blues Mississippi Fred McDowell (Arhoolie, 1964)	The Country Blues Samuel Charters
2001	Etta James Junior Parker Rufus Thomas	Robert Palmer Theresa Needham	Shake, Rattle and Roll Big Joe Turner (Atlantic, 1954)	The Complete Plantation Recordings Muddy Waters (MCA Chess, 1993)	Stormy Monday: The T-Bone Walker Story Helen Dance
2002	Big Maceo Merriweather Ruth Brown	Jim O'Neal	Goin 'Down Slow St. Louis Jimmy Oden (Bluebird, 1941)	Live in Cook County Jail B. B. King (ABC, 1971)	Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records Nadine Cohodas
2003	Dinah Washington Fats dominoes Pinetop Perkins Sippie Wallace	Ralph Bass	Part Time Love Little Johnny Taylor (Galaxy, 1963)	It's my life baby! Junior Wells (Vanguard, 1966)	Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters Robert Gordon
2004	Blind boy fuller Bo Diddley	J. Mayo Williams	Baby What You Want Me to Do Jimmy Reed (Vee-Jay, 1959)	Raining in My Heart Slim Harpo (Excello, 1961)	Juke Blues Magazine Cilla Huggins , John Broven & Bez Turner , 1985
2005	Ike Turner Walter Davis	HC Speir	Black Night Charles Brown (Aladdin, 1951)	Down Home Z. Z. Hill (Malaco Records, 1982)	Blues People: Negro Music in White America LeRoi Jones
2006	Bobby Rush James Cotton Paul Butterfield Roy Milton	Joe , Jules , Lester and Saul Bihari Bobby Robinson Jerry Wexler	Devil Got My Woman Skip James (Paramount, 1931) Honky Tonk, Parts 1 & 2 Bill Doggett (King, 1956) Hound Dog Big Mama Thornton (Peacock, 1952)	I Do Not Play No Rock 'n' Roll Mississippi Fred McDowell (Capitol, 1970) Screamin 'and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton Charley Patton (Revenant, 2001) Tell Mama Etta James (Cadet, 1968)	Blues & Rhythm Magazine Paul Vernon , Tony Burke Chasin 'That Devil's Music Gayle Dean Wardlow , Edward Komara
2007	Dave Bartholomew Dr. John Guitar Slim Sister Rosetta Tharpe	Ahmet Ertegün Kind of caterpillar	Black Angel Blues Robert Nighthawk  (Aristocrat, 1949) Death Letter Son House (Columbia, 1965) Hide Away Freddie King (Federal, 1961)	Angola Prisoners' Blues Robert Pete Williams & others (Louisiana Folklore Society, 1959) Down and Out Blues Sonny Boy Williamson II (Checker, 1960) Driving Wheel Little Jr. Parker (Duke, 1962)	Blues With a Feeling: The Little Walter Story Tony Glover , Scott Dirks & Ward Gaines
2008	Hubert Sumlin Jimmy McCracklin Jimmy Witherspoon Johnny Guitar Watson Mississippi Sheiks Peetie Wheatstraw	John Hammond Paul Oliver	Back-Water Blues Bessie Smith (Columbia, 1927) Double Trouble Otis Rush (Cobra, 1958) My Babe Little Walter (Checker, 1955)	Etta James Rocks the House Etta James (Argo, 1964) Freddy King Sings Freddie King (King, 1961) I'm Jimmy Reed Jimmy Reed (Vee-Jay, 1958) Members Only Bobby Bland (Malaco, 1985) Piney Woods Blues Big Joe Williams (Delmark, 1958)	7 Guitars August Wilson Moanin 'at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf James Segrest & Mark Hoffman
2009	Irma Thomas Reverend Gary Davis Son Seals Taj Mahal	Bob Porter Clifford Antone Mike Leadbitter	Boom Boom John Lee Hooker (Vee-Jay, 1961) Caldonia Louis Jordan (Decca, 1945) Sitting on Top of the World Mississippi Sheiks (Okeh, 1930)	Amtrak Blues Alberta Hunter (Columbia, 1978) Blues With a Feeling Newport Folk Festival Classics Various Artists (Vanguard, 1993) T-Bone Blues T-Bone Walker (Atlantic, 1959)	I Hear You Knockin Jeff Hannusch
2010	Amos Milburn Bonnie Raitt Charlie Musselwhite Gus Cannon and Cannon's Jug Stompers Lonnie Brooks Toilet cell phone	Peter Guralnick Sonny Payne	All Your Love (I Miss Loving) Otis Rush (Cobra, 1958) Fever Little Willie John (King, 1956) Key to the Highway Big Bill Broonzy (OKeh, 1941) Match Box Blues Blind Lemon Jefferson (OKeh / Paramount, 1927) Spoonful Howlin 'Wolf (Chess, 1960)	Hung Down Head Lowell Fulson (Chess, 1970) I Hear Some Blues Downstairs Fenton Robinson  (Alligator, 1977) Strong Persuader Robert Cray (Mercury, 1986)	The Bluesmen Samuel Charters
2011	Alberta Hunter Big Maybelle Denise LaSalle JB Lenoir John Hammond Robert Cray	Bruce Bromberg John W. Work III Samuel Charters Vivian Carter and Jimmy Bracken	Ain't Nobody's Business Jimmy Witherspoon (Supreme, 1947) Five Long Years Eddie Boyd (JOB, 1952) Hard Time Killin 'Floor Blues Skip James (Paramount, 1931) Love in Vain Robert Johnson (Vocalion, 1937)	False Accusations Robert Cray (HighTone 1985) Night Beat Sam Cooke (RCA Victor 1963) The Real Folk Blues Howlin 'Wolf (Chess 1965)	Walking to New Orleans: The Story of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues John Broven
2012	Allen Toussaint Billy Boy Arnold Buddy & Ella Johnson Frank Stokes Furry Lewis Lazy Lester Matt "Guitar" Murphy Mike Bloomfield	Doc Pomus Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau Pervis instep	All Your Love Magic Sam (Cobra, 1957) It Hurts Me Too Tampa Red (Bluebird, 1940) Pine Top's Boogie Woogie Pinetop Smith (Vocalion, 1928)	Bad Influence The Robert Cray Band (HighTone, 1983) Damn Right, I've Got the Blues Buddy Guy (Silvertone, 1991)	Bessie Chris Albertson The Voice of the Blues Jim O'Neal & Amy van Singel
2013	Earl Hooker Jimmie Rodgers Jody Williams Joe Louis Walker Little Brother Montgomery Otis Clay	Cosimo Matassa Dave Clark Henry Glover	Canned Heat Blues Tommy Johnson (Victor, 1928) How Many More Years Howlin 'Wolf (Chess, 1951) Let the Good Times Roll Louis Jordan (Decca, 1946) Me and My Chauffeur Blues Memphis Minnie (OKeh, 1941) Mystery Train Little Junior's Blue Flames (Sun, 1953)	Complete Recorded Works / Texas Worried Blues Henry Thomas (Herwin, 1975 / Yazoo, 1989) Louis Jordan's Greatest Hits Louis Jordan (Decca, 1969) More Real Folk Blues Howlin 'Wolf (Chess, 1967)	Soulsville, USA: The Story of Stax Records Rob Bowman (Schirmer, 2003)
2014	Big Jay McNeely Eddie Shaw Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson RL Burnside Robert Pete Williams	Dick Shurman Don Robey Mike Kappus	After Hours Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra (Bluebird, 1940) Catfish Blues Robert Petway (Bluebird, 1941) High Water Everywhere , Parts I & II Charley Patton (Paramount, 1930) It's Tight Like That Tampa Red & Georgia Tom (Vocalion, 1928) Milk Cow Blues Kokomo Arnold (Decca, 1934)	Hawk Squat J. B. Hutto (Delmark, 1969) Moanin 'in the Moonlight Howlin' Wolf (Chess, 1959)	Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke Peter Guralnick (Little, Brown and Company, 2005)
2015	Eric Clapton Little Richard Tommy Brown
2016	Elvin Bishop Eddy Clearwater Jimmy Johnson John Mayall Memphis Jug Band	Tommy Couch and Wolf Stephenson	Crazy Blues Mamie Smith (OKeh, 1920) That's All Right Jimmy Rogers (Chess, 1950) I Wish You Would Billy Boy Arnold (Vee-Jay, 1955) Merry Christmas Baby Johnny Moore's Three Blazers with Charles Brown (Exclusive, 1947) Blues Before Sunrise Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell (Vocalion, 1934)	Blues in the Mississippi Night Various Artists (Nixa, 1957 / United Artists, 1959)	Early Downhome Blues: A Musical and Cultural Analysis Jeff Todd Titon
2017	Johnny Copeland Henry Gray Willie Johnson Latimore Magic Slim Mavis Staples	Amy van Singel	Bo Diddley Bo Diddley (Checker, 1955) Hi-Heel Sneakers Tommy Tucker (Chess, 1963) I Ain't Superstitious Howlin 'Wolf (Chess, 1961) I'll Play the Blues For You Albert King (Stax, 1971) Preachin 'the Blues Son House (Paramount, 1930)	Real Folk Blues John Lee Hooker (Chess, 1959)	Father of the Blues W.C. mobile phone
2018	The Aces Georgia Tom Dorsey Sam Lay Mamie Smith Roebuck "Pops" Staples	Al Benson	Cross Cut Saw Albert King (Stax, 1966) Green Onions Booker T. & the MG's (Stax / Volt, 1962) I'm a Man Bo Diddley (Checker, 1955) Roll 'Em Pete Big Joe Turner (Vocalion, 1938) See See Rider Blues Ma Rainey (Paramount, 1924)	Blues is King B. B. King (ABC BluesWay, 1967)	I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy Bob Riesman
2019	Aretha Franklin Booker T. & the MG's Count Basie Ida Cox Pee Wee Crayton	Moe Ash	Everyday I Have the Blues B. B. King (RPM, 1954) I Got a Woman Ray Charles (Atlantic, 1954) Rollin 'Stone Muddy Waters (Chess, 1950) Shake Your Moneymaker Elmore James (Fire, 1961) The St. Louis Blues Bessie Smith (Columbia, 1925)	The Sky Is Crying Elmore James (Sphere Sound, 1965)	Lost Delta Found: Rediscovering the Fisk University-Library of Congress Coahoma County Study, 1941-1942 John W. Work , Lewis Wade Jones , Samuel C. Adams Jr.
2020	Eddie Boyd Victoria Spivey Billy Branch Bettye LaVette Syl Johnson George "Harmonica" Smith	Ralph Peer	That's All Right (Mama) Arthur Crudup (RCA Victor, 1946) Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean Ruth Brown (Atlantic, 1952) Trouble in Mind Bertha Hill (OKeh, 1926) Future Blues Willie Brown (Paramount, 1930) 3 O'Clock Blues B. B. King (RPM, 1951)	The Chess Box Howlin 'Wolf (MCA / Chess 1991)	Earl Hooker, Blues Master Sebastian Danchin

Web links

• Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame