BMI has supported the work of blues writers since the company’s founding in 1940, at which time the major performing rights organization did not include many blues-connected individuals in their membership. Blues continues to be a central element of BMI¹s repertoire, as 89% of the Blues Hall of Fame members are BMI songwriters.
Performers
Luther Allison (GEMA)
Dave Bartholomew
Chuck Berry
Bobby “Blue” Bland
Bruce Bromberg
Lonnie Brooks
Big Bill Broonzy
Roy Brown
Charles Brown
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
Ruth Brown
Paul Butterfield
Gus Cannon and Cannon’s Jug Stompers
Vivian Carter and Jimmy Bracken
Ray Charles
Clifton Chenier
Albert Collins
Robert Cray
Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup
Bo Diddley
Willie Dixon
Fats Domino
Champion Jack Dupree
David “Honeyboy” Edwards
Sleepy John Estes
Lowell Fulson
Buddy Guy
John Hammond
Slim Harpo
Billie Holiday
John Lee Hooker
Lightin’ Hopkins
Big Walter Horton
Son House
Mississippi John Hurt
J. B. Hutto
Little Walter Jacobs
Elmore James
Etta James
Skip James
Dr. John
Robert Johnson
Tommy Johnson
Lonnie Johnson
Eddie “Guitar Slim” Jones
Louis Jordan
B.B. King
Freddy (Freddie) King
Albert King
Denise LaSalle
Leadbelly
J.B. Lenoir
Robert Lockwood Jr.
Percy Mayfield
Jimmy McCracklin
Brownie McGee
Amos Milburn
Sonny Boy Williamson #2
Little Milton
Roy Milton
Charlie Musselwhite
Johnny Otis
Little Junior Parker
Charley Patton
Pinetop Perkins
Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Rogers
Otis Rush
Bobby Rush
Magic Sam
Son Seals
Mississippi Sheiks
Johnny Shines
Memphis Slim
Sunnyland Slim
Otis Spann
Hubert Sumlin
Roosevelt Sykes
Taj Mahal
Hound Dog Taylor
Koko Taylor
Sonny Terry
Irma Thomas
Big Mama Thornton
Ike Turner
Big Joe Turner
T Bone Walker
Dinah Washington
Muddy Waters
Johnny “Guitar” Watson
Junior Wells
Peetie Wheatstraw
Bukka White
Johnny Winter
Howlin’ Wolf
Classics of Blues Recordings – Single or Album Track
Guitar Slim - “The Things That I Used to Do”
Howlin’ Wolf - “Smokestack Lightnin”
Little Walter - “Juke”
Howlin’ Wolf - “Killing Floor”
Z.Z. Hill - Down Home Blues
Little Walter - “My Babe”
John Lee Hooker - “Boom Boom”
Louis Jordan - “Caldonia”
Mississippi Sheiks - “Sitting on Top of the World”
Howlin’ Wolf - “Spoonful”
Jimmy Witherspoon - “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”
Eddie Boyd - “Five Long Years”
Skip James - “Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues”
Big Bill Broonzy - “Key to the Highway”
Charles Brown with Johnny Moore’s Three Blazes - “Drifting Blues”
Charles Brown - “Black Night”
Larry Davis - “Texas Flood”
Bill Doggett - “Honky Tonk, Parts 1 & 2
Lowell Fulson - “Reconsider Baby”
Slim Harpo - “Baby Scratch My Back”
John Lee Hooker - “Boogie Chillen”
Son House - “Death Letter”
Elmore James - “Dust My Broom”
Elmore James - “The Sky is Crying”
Skip James - “Devil Got My Woman”
Little Willie John - “Fever”
Tommy Johnson - “Big Road Blues”
B.B. King - “The Thrill is Gone”
Albert King - “Born Under a Bad Sign”
Freddie (Freddy) King - “Hide Away”
Percy Mayfield - “Please Send Me Someone to Love”
Charley Patton - “Pony Blues”
Jimmy Reed - “Big Boss Man”
Jimmy Reed - “Baby What You Want Me To Do”
Otis Rush - “I Can’t Quit You Baby”
Otis Rush - “Double Trouble”
Otis Rush - “All Your Love (I Miss Loving) “
Koko Taylor - “Wang Dang Doodle”
Little Johnny Taylor - “Part Time Love”
Big Mama Thornton - “Hound Dog”
Big Joe Turner - “Shake, Rattle and Roll”
T Bone Walker - “Call it Stormy Monday (But Tuesday is Just as Bad)”
Muddy Waters - “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man”
Muddy Waters - “Got My Mojo Working”
Muddy Waters - “Mannish Boy”
Muddy Waters - “Long Distance Call”
Junior Wells - “Messin’ With the Kid”
Sonny Boy Williamson #2 - “Nine Below Zero”
Sonny Boy Williamson #2 - “Don’t Start Me Talkin’”
Sonny Boy Williamson #2 - “Help Me”
Classics of Blues Recordings – Album
Magic Sam - West Side Soul
Little Walter - Boss Blues Harmonica
Howlin’ Wolf - Chester Burnett A.K.A Howlin’ Wolf
Howlin’ Wolf - Howlin’ Wolf (“rocking chair” album)
Howlin’ Wolf - The Real Folk Blues
Little Walter - The Best of Little Walter
T Bone Walker - T Bone Blues
Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Robert Cray - False Accusations
Bobby “Blue” Bland - Two Steps From the Blues
Bobby “Blue” Bland - Members Only
Sam Cooke - Night Beat
Albert Collins - Ice Pickin’
Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland - Showdown
Robert Cray - Strong Persuader
Willie Dixon - I Am The Blues
Willie Dixon - The Chess Box
Lowell Fulson - Hung Down Head
Slim Harpo - Raining In My Heart
Son House - Father of the Folk Blues
Z.Z. Hill - Down Home
Elmore James - The Original Flair & Meteor Sides
Skip James - The Complete 3 Session
Etta James - Rocks the House
Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign
Albert King - Live Wire Blues Power
Freddy (Freddie) King - Hide Away
B.B. King - Live from the Cook County Jail
Albert King - I’ll Play the Blues for You
Freddy (Freddie) King - Freddy King Sings
Magic Sam - Black Magic
Mississippi Fred McDowell - Mississippi Delta Blues
Mississippi Fred McDowell - I Do Not Play No Rock n Roll
Little Jr. Parker - Driving Wheel
Charley Patton - Founder of the Delta Blues
Charley Patton - Screamin’ and Hollerin’ the Blues
Jimmy Reed - I’m Jimmy Reed
Fenton Robinson - I Hear Some Blues Downstairs
Jimmy Rogers - Chicago Bound
Otis Spann - Otis Spann is the Blues
Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers - Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers
Big Joe Turner - Boss of the Blues
T Bone Walker - The Complete Recordings of T Bone Walker
Muddy Waters - The Best of Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters - McKinley Morganfield A.K.A. Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters - Down on Stovall’s Plantation
Muddy Waters - The Chess Box
Muddy Waters - Can’t Get No Grindin’
Muddy Waters - The Complete Plantation Recordings
Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues
Junior Wells - Blues Hit Big Town Junior Wells
Junior Wells - It’s My Life Baby! Junior Wells
Bukka White - Parchman Farm
Robert Pete Williams & others - Angola Prisoners Blues
Sonny Boy Williamson - Down and Out Blues
Non-Performers
Bill “Hoss” Allen
Ralph Bass
Ahmet Ertegün
Peter Guralnick
John Hammond
Bruce Iglauer
Alan Lomax
Jim O’Neal
Paul Oliver
Bobby Robinson
Jerry Wexler
Joe, Jules, Lester, and Saul Bihari
For a complete Hall of Fame list, including Classics of Blues Literature, consult blues.org.