Charlie Patton

As the first genuine celebrity of the Delta blues, guitarist-songwriter Charley Patton defined the genre as well as the image of the hard-living Delta bluesman leaving trouble in his wake.  With his raw, percussive guitar technique and booming voice matched by a flamboyant showmanship that attracted audiences of all backgrounds, Patton had established his fame throughout the south well before becoming the music’s best-selling and most prolific recording artist.  With roots in Bolton, Mississippi, his most popular and influential songs include “Pony Blues” and “High Water Everywhere.”