If I may add yet another name , Janis Joplin. I know there will be some who disagree but I had never really heard blues (imagine that and me growing up in E St Louis)before I heard Janis ,After that I started listening to all the music around me ,In my neighborhood alot of the garage bands could really play the blues. Only wish I would have paid attention to some of the names to see if they ever made it . mmm