Mississippi Fred McDowell

As a stylist and purveyor of the original Delta blues, Mississippi Fred McDowell was superb; equal parts Charley Patton and Son House coming to the fore through his roughed-up vocals and slashing bottleneck style of guitar playing. McDowell knew he was the real deal and while others updated their sound to keep pace with the changing times, McDowell stood out from the pack by not changing his style one iota. Although generally lumped in with other blues "rediscoveries" from the '60s, the most amazing thing about him was that this rich repository of Delta blues had never recorded in the '20s or early '30s, didn't get "discovered" until 1959, and didn't become a full-time professional musician until the mid-'60s.